Nikolaev pigeons - birds that are valued all over the world

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:45

Nikolaev pigeons were first mentioned in the works of professor of agriculture M. G. Livanov in 1799. There is no exact information about how this breed originated. It is assumed that sailors sailing to the shores of the Black Sea brought foreign pigeons, which interbred with local birds. The coastal climate had a huge impact on the formation of the breed. In 1910, pigeons of the Nikolaev breed were registered.

Description of the breed

Nikolaev pigeons have an elongated and small body with a low fit. The total length of the bird is from 38 to 40 centimeters. The color of the feathers is yellow, blue, red, white, black and ashy. It is usually bright and uniform. The metallic tint has the color of the chest and neck. White-tailed pigeons are distinguished, one or two extreme tail feathers are sometimes colored. Birds that have sides and a cockade on the forehead of the same color were called color-sided.

The bird's head is smooth, dry, rounded-elongated. The eyes are small, dark brown if the plumage is white, or golden-straw if colored. The eyelids are thin, and the color resembles baked milk. The beak is usually thin, long, light, proportional. There is a small cere that fits snugly to the beak, its color is white. These pigeonsthick, short, convex and strong neck. The muscles of the birds are well developed, the chest is strong, convex, raised by 40-45 degrees.

The back is slightly elongated, wide, straight. The wings are long enough, they do not fit tightly to the body, their ends in a closed state are on the tail. There are blue or ashy shields. Black or light brown belts. Pigeons have red-brown short limbs without feathers and light claws. The tail has 12 to 16 feathers and is long and wide.

Characteristic features of Nicholas pigeons

• Streamlined body.
• Dense abundant plumage that fits snugly to the body.
• The feather of the tail and wings is elastic and wide, forming a large supporting surface.
• Moveable tail and wings.
• Stamina in flight gives strong bones, well-developed muscles.

Nikolaev pigeons have excellent flying qualities. They can soar into the air without circles, rise in a relatively short time and remain in flight for a long time. With proper care and regular training, birds can fly for up to nine hours straight.

Doves seem to soar on rising air currents. It happens that during the flight they are helped by a uniformly blowing headwind. Birds prefer to fly alone and not depend on each other. Quite often, flight deeper than this breed is compared to the flight of a lark or a butterfly. However, at present, some of these representatives of the faunalost their flight capabilities. Specialists have identified two main types of pigeons of the Nikolaev breed - these are sickle and end.

Top Nikolaev pigeons

These birds usually take off and fall vertically, holding their wings in front of them over their heads all the time from ascent to landing. The body assumes a vertical position and faces the air flow. Pigeons need a wind of 7 to 10 meters per second to fly.

Sickle Nicholas pigeons

Have level flight. They are distinguished by smooth movement in the air. In this case, slight deviations to the left or right are observed. They hold the body parallel to the air flow or the ground, the wings are above the head and curved in the form of a sickle. Therefore, the described birds got such a name.

It can be said that the Nikolaev pigeons of 2014 are mostly sickle. At present, it is quite rare to meet end representatives of the breed.

Features of breeding

Pigeons of the Nikolaev breed are appreciated not only by professional breeders, but also by amateurs. Birds have a lively temperament, are able to easily adapt to different climates, they are unpretentious about the conditions of detention and food. Nicholas pigeons breed well, quite prolific.

Birds of this breed are widespread and popular not only in our country, but also abroad. But it should be noted that they can show their best flying qualities only in conditionsclose to the conditions of their native land. Systematic training, compliance with the feeding and maintenance regimen are also required. You can practice from 1.5 months of age, when young birds are just starting to go out onto the roof. They need to be taught to fly with a reliable leader. The latter becomes a kind of instructor for them. After four or five such flights, it is recommended to teach the young to fly on their own.

The best time to practice is early in the morning, although night flights are also practiced. During them, the birds rise when the sun sets, and fall only in the morning. But such flights are dangerous, since the Nikolaev pigeons have a weak ability to navigate. They can easily get lost and only return after a few days.