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.

Old Dutch Capuchin: This breed is popular in Malaysia and Singapore, though they originated in the Netherlands. Known for its wildly unique headcrest, it's pretty hard to think of pigeons as "sky rats" when you see a breed this impressive. Old Dutch Capuchine pigeon is a small to medium sized bird and it's body is desirably carried horizontally. These birds have well rounded head which is broad enough at the back to be fit for a broad hood.