If you live in New York – or any big city for that matter – you live with pigeons. Mostly, you look right past them, unless they decide to drop a little present on you. Like rats and roaches, they’re often considered a type of vermin, and have long been eschewed by residents for fear that they carry diseases. However, unlike rats and roaches (we think), there are Grand National Championships for pigeons. We first saw a few of the winning show pigeons from the 2010 championships over at Swiss Miss, and became so intrigued that we delved into the National Pigeon Association website for more. We were surprised to find that pigeons can be strange, beautiful and captivating, and that they come in a variety of shapes and sizes, not just Central Park gray. Click through to see a few champion pigeons and let us know in the comments which ones you like the best.
Saint Pigeon
Carrier Pigeon
Schmalkaldnener Mohrenkopf
Holle Cropper
Berlin Tumbler
Bokhara Trumpeter
Champion Norwich
Cumulet
Bavarian Pouter
African Owl
Fantail
Komorner Tumbler
Show King