Chinese Owl Pigeon: History And Breed Guide
Pigeon fanciers have been breeding pigeons for hundreds of years. Sometimes, they turn out to be breathtakingly beautiful, and sometimes they are outright bizarre.
The Chinese owl pigeon falls in the beautiful category and thus is used for exhibition. If you want this beautiful breed as your pet or want to breed them for exhibition, you have to learn everything about them.
Chinese Owl Pigeon Profile
| Name | Chinese Owl Pigeon |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name: | Columba livia domestica |
| Common Names: | Whiskered Owl Pigeon |
| Origin: | Not confirmed. Spain/India Presumed. |
| Weight: | 270-350 grams |
| Lifespan: | 7-10 years |
| Physical Features: | Small in size, short beak, profuse plumage |
| Temperament: | Mild, but can get offended easily |
| Behavior: | Friendly towards humans and other birds |
| Special Feature: | Frills on neck, chest, legs, and underbelly |
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The History and Origin of Chinese Owl Pigeons
Pinpointing the true origin of Chinese owl pigeons hasn’t been possible and even after many efforts by many esteemed researchers. That’s why there’s no certain origin country for the breed.
But doesn’t its name indicate its origin country? Well, I can assure you it didn’t originate from China. The name was given to the breed by a French pigeon dealer named Destriveaux.
Why did he call it the Chinese owl? He didn’t disclose the reason and even if he did, they aren’t in the recorded history.
But many people believe the breed either originated from India or Spain. However, the connection to Spain is stronger because of its similarity to the Spanish Chorrera pigeon.
Nevertheless, Destriveaux sold it to the German King Prosche in 1965 and afterward, he played a key role in making the breed size bigger.
Throughout his life, he continued to breed the Chinese owl pigeons and they grew in number and now can be found all over the world.
For the growth of the breed, Germany played a key role, as most of the initial breeders of this pigeon were from Germany.
Appearance of Chinese Owl Pigeon
Chinese owl pigeons show lots of variations in color, from blue/blue-grey to completely white. They can also be found in colors such as brown, satinette, blondinette, and pied.
Tiny in size, they look very cute and usually don’t weigh much. An average Chinese owl pigeon will weigh something between 270-350 grams.
They have some frills on the neck, which they use to court members of the opposite sex. Sometimes, they also use these frills to intimidate other pigeons threatening their territory.
You might have seen that chickens have distinguishable feathers on their underbelly, which are often very frilly. Chinese owl pigeon’s underbelly is similar to that and has frilly feathers.
The feathers on the bird’s chest are reversed and cover across the entire breast. There is a partition in the middle where some point towards the neck and some point towards the pantaloons.
Coming to the upper portion of the body, they have a round head and round eyes. The beak is short but bigger than the African owl pigeon.
Behavior and Traits of Chinese Owl Pigeon
Certainly, it is one of the best breeds when it comes to behavior. They’re timid and far less aggressive than the racing pigeons.
But male pigeons of this breed can be a bit sensitive about their territory just like other male pigeons and will try to defend it hard. I noticed this trait quite early and increased the space for each pigeon. After that, I had no territorial issues.
Also, this pigeon can get offended easily and can be very funny to watch when they try to act angry. But it’s innocent anger and nothing aggressive.
Gradually introduce them to humans and you’ll see them act completely normal around people. Once they are familiar with the faces, they can be very friendly.
Habitat of Chinese Owl Pigeon
It’s a domestic fancy pigeon breed and is bred by pigeon fanciers. So, there’s no specific place or country where it can be found. And you can breed them in any country you want.
Are Chinese Owl Pigeons Homers?
They’re not the best of the flyers. You can let them out to roam around and they won’t go away.
But if you’re thinking about letting them fly with other homers, don’t. They can’t keep up with the homers and will be vulnerable to predators.
What I do is let the homers fly and have fun, and once they come back, I let the Chinese owl pigeons out. But I remain with them the whole time as they can’t fly well, they can get attacked by the predators.
Can I Buy Chinese Owl Pigeons?
Yes, you can buy them online easily. I bought my pair from a pigeon seller in Ohio. He shipped them to my house, and they arrived in perfect health condition. You can find many reliable sellers on pigeon forums.
What Should I Feed the Chinese Owl Pigeons?
They have really small beaks and that’s why they can’t have large seeds like sorghum or sunflower. So, you have to feed them really small seeds. As most of these pigeons have small beaks, the young ones can’t even eat the small ones.
And many short-beaked pigeons can’t feed their short-beaked children. You can use your hand to feed the baby pigeons. Some people also use tubes for that purpose.
I used a cat nipple, attaching it to a 10cc syringe to feed the young Chinese owls. The method has worked well for me as none of the young ones died of starvation.
How to Breed Chinese Owl Pigeon?
You can breed them just the same as you would with any other fancy pigeons. Providing them with some comfortable nestling materials is all you have to do.
Sometimes, the offspring can resemble very closely to their parents very closely, and sometimes, they might not. But most of the time, they look similar to their parents.
It’s advised vets that you do not breed them more than 2 times in a year. Otherwise, the look of the resulting kids can be very unpredictable. The Chinese owls are usually good at parenting and take great care of their kids.
But due to their small beaks make feeding difficult, and in that case, you have to make some arrangements as otherwise, the kids will die.
Neglecting the baby pigeons by the parents is rare, but if you notice any kind of negligence on the parents’ part, you can let the kids live with other pigeons.
How to Prepare Chinese Owl Pigeons for Exhibition?
For them to look great, you need the neck and breast rill to bloom. Blow drying the feathers works well as it makes them bloom perfectly and gives them an attractive look. Note that the heat setting should be kept low during the blow dry.
In the period preceding the exhibition event, you must ensure them a proper diet. If there’s an issue with their diet, they’re unlikely to look their best.
You also need the pigeons to get used to the cage. So, keep them in the cages for a short while every day.
Conclusion
Chinese owl pigeon is a beautiful-looking breed with a small body and is mainly used for exhibition.
With good care and careful preparation, you have a good chance of winning the competition with these pigeons. Some people also keep them at home as pets as they are best companions.
Whatever use you may have for them, hopefully, our guide on them helped you a little bit at least.