Frillback pigeons ( Lockentaube )

Lockentaube - Frisé - Frillback pigeons

The Frillback is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. Frillbacks, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants from the rock pigeon (Columba livia). The breed is known for the frill or curls on the wing shield feathers. The feather curl should also be present at the ends of the foot feathers or muffs.

The Frillback is an ancient breed and is said to come from Asia Minor but no clear country of origin can be located. The Frillback is an unusual looking pigeon with its covert wing feathers on a good example curled all over, the flights and tail are only slightly altered and although crinkled the bird has a strong power of flight should they need to. Both white and black colourations can have a shell crest although today it is rare to see a black Frillback showing this ornament. By their nature they like to walk about and if allowed liberty will wander around the pigeon loft or garden, getting into all kinds of places it should not and on more than one occasion I have had to shoo them out of the kitchen, in this they are very comical running rather than flying off down the garden, if allowed their liberty when unattended a meeting with a cat is a very likely outcome. They can become very tame with their owners but I have noticed this depends on colour with blacks and whites being the friendliest, blue grizzles sometimes being wild and the reds being very combative with each other but not with other breeds.