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.

Frillback pigeon: The Frillback is a breed of "fancy pigeon." Fancy pigeons are all domesticated forms of the familiar rock dove breed, and pigeon fanciers cross-breed the birds to have a variety of unique shapes, sizes, colors, and behaviors. Fancy pigeons are the kind you'll find at shows and livestock fairs and to keep as pets. The Frillback is obviously bred for its frills, or curls, on the wing shield feathers and comes in many different colors.