17 Tumbler Pigeon Breeds – A Complete List

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on the different tumbler pigeon breeds. Our goal is to provide you with the necessary information to help you better understand these interesting pigeon species.

What are the tumbler pigeon breeds? Tumbler pigeons are a variety of fancy pigeons famed for their aerial acrobatics, rolling and tumbling in mid-air. Tumbler pigeons come in a variety of breeds, with roughly 17 different types.

You will be provided with a complete list of 17 tumbler pigeon breeds. This will include their physical appearance, personality traits, and history. So, don’t keep your eyes away.

Tumbler Pigeon Breeds

First, quickly jump into the tumbler pigeon’s different breeds and flights, as they’re popular for rolling in mid-air.

Name	Origin
Armenian Tumbler	Armenian
Performing Tumbler	Australian
Saddleback Tumbler	Australian
Berlin Short-faced Tumbler	Germany
Berlin Long-faced Tumbler	Germany
Budapest Short-faced Tumbler	Hungary
English Long-faced Tumbler	United Kingdom
English Short-faced Tumbler	United Kingdom
Felégyhaza Tumbler	Hungary
Indian Tumblers	India
Iranian Highflying Tumbler	Iran
Komorner Tumbler	Austria – Hungary
Krasnodar Tumbler	Russia
Limerick Tumblers	Unknown
Shiraz Tumbler	Iran
Vienna long-faced tumbler	Austria
West of England Tumbler	England

Please keep in mind that there may be some other pigeon breeds as well. These are some pretty common breeds we tried altogether. 

However, you may notice Hungary, Australia, United Kingdom originated the most tumbler pigeon breeds. These pigeons are well-performing, have a long flight duration, and are fascinating.

As we know, people love to have short discussions. We wouldn’t make a separate section for every breed. Rather, we will talk based on the origin. For example, Berlin originated tumblers.

The Armenian Tumbler Breed

The Armenian Tumbler pigeon has a striking appearance. It has an average body size and a rounded head that can be created or uncrested. Let’s have a quick look at the Armenian tumbler pigeon in a nutshell

• Beak is medium in size  
• The beak can be light pink or black
• Its eyes can have pearl, orange, yellow, or a combination of different colors
• Their neck can have a variety of colors such as black and yellow
• Its feathers are clear, smooth, and strong
• It even has feathers on its feet
• Able to fly for 2-3 hours 

This breed of pigeon is kept primarily for its exceptional flying abilities. It is hardy and strong and performs acrobatics like rolls and spins in flight. Besides, it is a popular breed for flying in its native region of Armenia.

The Australian Tumbler Breeds

We mentioned two Australian tumbler breeds in the chart above. They are the performing tumbler and the saddleback tumbler. Both breeds have some similarities, as well as some unique features in its name.

However, let’s have a comparative overview of these two amazing tumbler breeds first.

Feature	Performing Tumbler	Saddleback Tumbler
Purpose	Flying	Exhibition
Flying ability	Excellent	Excellent
Leg feathered	No	Yes
Back marking	Flat	Saddle-shaped marking
Head marking	Flat	Stripe or Spot
Colors	Various	Various
Rarity	Common	Rare except for the origin
Place of Origin	New south wales	Australia (State unknown)

The two breeds are different in terms of their physical appearance. So the Performing Tumbler lacks leg feathers and the Saddleback Tumbler, on the other hand, has feathers on its legs. 

Furthermore, the Performing Tumbler has a flat marking on its back, but the Saddleback Tumbler is characterized by its signature saddle-shaped marking. 

One other thing is saddleback tumblers had been found way before performing tumbles. One was found in 1917, while the other one had found in 1991.

The color is also a similarity between the two. APTs usually are seen in red, kite, and almonds. Saddlebacks are seen in Black, Red, Yellow, Blue, Silver, Almond, and Andalusian.

Berlin Tumbler Breeds

So, the Berlin-based German tumbler pigeons can be sorted into two types. One is long faced tumbler, and the other is a short-faced tumbler. There are some similarities between these two breeds as they originated from the same region. But they have some differences as well. 

Let’s have a look at the features overview below:

Feature	Long-faced Tumble	Short-Faced Tumble
Face Length	Long face	Short face
Beak Length	Long and straight beak	Short and rounded beak
Body Type	Slender and proportional	Stocky and muscular
Neck	Long and thin	Short and thick
Plumage	Tight and well-developed	Soft and fluffy
Tail	Tight and carried horizontally	Full and carried vertically
Wings	Tightly carried on the body	Loosely carried on the body
Leg Length	Long and fine-boned	Short and thick-boned
Color Variations	Black, blue, pearl, red, yellow	Similar color variations
Uses	Flying and Exhibition	Flying and Exhibition
Temperament	Playful and energetic	Stately and full of temperament
Popularity	Popular in the native area and some other countries	Popular in the native area and some other countries

The two breeds have several differences. The Berlin Long-faced Tumbler has a slender and wedge-shaped head, and a long, narrow, and straight beak. Its body is slender and proportional. On the other hand, the Berlin Short-faced Tumbler has a broader head and a wider beak.

In terms of weight, the Berlin Long-faced Tumbler has an average live body weight of around 310 grams. Berlin Short-faced Tumbler is comparatively lighter in that case. Its average weight is around 250 grams.

Both breeds are raised for flying and exhibition purposes. Nevertheless, the Berlin Long-faced Tumbler is also popular as a pet. The Berlin Short-faced Tumbler is better suited for flying exhibitions.

So, while both breeds share similarities, there are significant distinctions too in between them.

The Hungarian Tumbler Breeds

As domestic pigeons, the Felegyhaza Tumbler and Budapest short-faced tumblers are two breeds that are quite popular. Both of these breeds have their own unique characteristics and appearances. 

To help you better understand the difference between these two breeds, here is a comparison table highlighting the key differences between these two breeds.

Feature	Felegyhaza Tumbler	Budapest short-faced Tumbler
Size	Average	Small
Appearance	Beautiful, distinctively marked	Square head, slim body
Purpose	Mainly for flying	Mainly for exhibition
Behavior	Strong and hardy, good flying ability, good for exhibition	Alert, active, responsive to human affection
Lifespan	7-10 years	7-10 years
Origin	Late 19th century	The first decade of the twentieth century

Okay, let’s get straight to the point. The table compares the difference between two popular pigeon breeds. So, in a nutshell, 

Felegyhaza Tumbler:

• This breed is an old one but not that ancient, developed in the late 19th century
• They are mainly used for flying purposes, and they have strong and hardy bodies, which make them good fliers
• They are also good for exhibition and can be raised as pets, but they have relatively good behavior and strong flying ability

Budapest Highflyer:

• This breed is a little guy, with an average weight of around 255 grams
• They are known for their square heads, slim bodies, and large bare flesh circles around the eyes. It somehow gives them a frog-eyed appearance
• Budapest Highflyers was originally developed as a flying breed, but today they are mainly raised for exhibitions
• They are known for their wonderful personalities, alertness, and happy natures, and usually respond well to human affection

The United Kingdom Tumbler Breeds

Three English breed tumbler pigeons make up this section. West of England tumbler, Long-faced tumbler, and Short-faced tumbler. Let’s have a glance at their traits and qualities in the table below. 

Features	Long-Faced Tumbler	Short-Faced Tumbler	West of England Tumbler
Body Type	Long and slender body	Compact and rounded body	Average size body
Beak	Long beak	Short beak	Medium length beak
Muffs	Long, fluffy muffs	Short, round muffs	Medium length, fluffy muffs
Purpose	Primarily for flying	Primarily for exhibition	Dual purpose (flying and exhibition)
Temperament	Active and playful	Calm and friendly	Calm and friendly
Color Varieties	Limited	Limited	Many
Lifespan	7 – 10 years	7 – 10 years	7 – 10 years
Average weight	340 – 375 gram	250 – 290 gram	255 – 340 gram

English Long-faced Tumbler pigeons are larger than average with a long face and narrow body. They are good flyers with long glides. 

English Short-faced Tumbler pigeons, on the other hand, are smaller than average with a short face and round body. They are good flyers too, but with short glides. 

However, West of England Tumbler pigeons have an average size with a round body and medium-length face. They are well known for their tameness and calm attitude. They are excellent flyers with occasional tumbling

In summary, they share a geographic origin. Surprisingly, though, they differ from one another more. However, you could have anticipated that they would be more alike.

The Iranian Tumbler Breed

We will specifically talk about Iran-based tumbler breeds named high-flying tumblers and Shiraz tumblers. Let’s quickly look at some of their features first.

Features	Highflying Tumbler	Shiraz Tumbler
Other names	None	Shakhsharli, Shirazi, Shaik, Saksarli, Lahouri, Domgir
Size	Medium	Medium
Weight	400 – 800 gram	340 – 425 gram
Colors	Various	Various
Physical features	Long tail feathers, round head, black or dark brown eyes	Roundhead, Black or dark brown eyesWhite head and neck forming a V shapeMuffed legsBroad breast
Uses	Flying, Exhibition, Ornamental	Flying, Exhibition, Ornamental, Pet
Flying abilities	Good flyers, can fly high	Good flyers, fly as a kit, limited flight height
Temperament	Good behavior, easy to tame	Good behavior, easy to tame

You can see from the table above that both breeds are relatively similar, with the exception of a few morphological characteristics. They fly well and are a little in weight. Although high-flying tumblers are renowned for their high-flying powers, Shiraz tumblers are far less skilled at doing so.

However, both breeds are unique and stunning birds. So why settle for a regular pigeon when you can have a funky, flying fashionista of a bird? Get your hands on a Shiraz Tumbler today!

The Other Tumbler Breeds

Except for the above-mentioned breeds, some other breeds originated from various regions such as Austria, India, and Russia. The name may include Krasnodar Tumbler, Komorner Tumbler, and Vienna long-faced tumbler. 

They are typically good at flying. Also some might be good for the exhibition. But they have a beautiful appearance.

The Komorner Tumbler pigeon origins date back to the 18-19th century in the city of Komárno in the Austrian Empire. It is imported into the US in the late 1920s. The Indian tumblers might like to join the party with the same features, along with being fancy and beautifully appearing. 

There hasn’t been much development of the Russian tumbler breed. As a result, it is still categorized as having less global recognition. This type also has excellent flying abilities.

All in all, they all have kind of similar features on some particular characteristics such as appearance and flying ability despite originating from different countries and states.

If you’re interested in learning more about pigeon behavior and health, you might find our articles on can pigeons fly at night and pigeon diarrhea helpful. Our article on can pigeons fly at night sheds light on the flight patterns and behavior of pigeons during nighttime, while our article on pigeon diarrhea explores the causes, symptoms, and treatments for this common health issue. Check them out to deepen your understanding of pigeon behavior and health.

FAQs

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Conclusion

And so, there you have it, folks! The world of fancy pigeon breeds is a diverse and colorful one as each breed boasts its own unique characteristics and lifestyle. They have been seen for ages in the old Indian street or the rolling hills of Vienna, showing how it never fails to be captivating.

From the high-flying tumbler to the charmingly elegant Komorner, these avian wonders are truly a marvel to behold. Regardless of their place of origin, they all share a common bond in their striking appearance and aerial prowess. So, why not spread your wings and explore the fascinating world of pigeons today?