23 Photos That Showcase The World's Most Beautiful Doves And Pigeons

I’ve never thought of pigeons as anything more than fairly dull and ubiquitous creatures that leave a lot of poop behind. But some people are really into these creatures – and they come in a variety of shapes and colors, partly because they may be one of the first domesticated birds. In fact, people have been breeding (and cross-breeding) them for hundreds of years. There are even show pigeons.

Brunner Pouter pigeon: Speaking of inconvenient physiology, the Brunner Pouter breed of fancy pigeon from the Czech Republic is bred to be "aristocratic" but looks a little starved for air. But they seem proud of their shape and enjoy strutting their stuff. And they live to be 7-10 years old, so it all works somehow.