Donek Pigeons : Behavior And Breed Guide
Donek is a selective breed of pigeon that was developed in North Macedonia by a man called Bora Vasic. Apart from Donek, there are other names of this breed, such as Prishtin roller, Kurum, Alina, etc.
The most unique feature of this breed of pigeon is that they are highly skilled in flying long distances, flying very high and doing aerial stunts such as spiral diving and aerial maneuvers.
Besides that, they are very intelligent, have great homing instincts and bond very well with the owner.
Whatever it is, we’ve created an extensive guide on Donek pigeons, their characteristics, unique features, food and home requirements, etc.
So, without any further ado, let’s get right into it.
Donek Pigeons Profile
| Name | Donek Pigeon |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Columba Livia |
| Common Names | Prishtin Roller, Kurum, Beazkanatli, Siali Parko, Aladia, Alina, Dunek, etc. |
| Origin | North Macedonia |
| Size | Length: 28 – 32 cm |
| Weight | 300 – 400 grams |
| Lifespan | 8 – 12 years |
| Physical Features | Medium-sized bird, short beak, rounded head shape, medium-sized tail and 14-feathered wings. |
| Temperament | Remarkably social, gentle and intelligent |
| Behavior | Very well-behaved, bonds well with humans and can easily be trained to do tricks |
| Special Features | Flies high and long distances, can do aerial stunts and can be trained to perform tricks |
| Breeding and Maintenance | Reaches sexual maturity at around 180 days of age, lays two eggs at a time and usually, hatches after 18 days |
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Donek Pigeons Overview
This pigeon breed has many names, “Donek” or “Dunek” is a Turkish name. It’s also called “Prishtine Roller.” These pigeons were developed in North Macedonia in the early 19s or 20s.
And these birds are well-known for their unique aerial stunts and spiral diving abilities. Donek pigeons are widely used for racing competitions because these birds are fast and have high endurance.
People also display these pigeons in exhibitions where judges rate these birds in terms of their physic, appearance, temperament, etc. Overall, it is a very beautiful pigeon breed that can be used for several purposes.
Maintaining and breeding these birds is pretty easy. Donek pigeons are very social and well-behaved, enabling people to pet them easily.
Want to get into the details? Dive right in…
History And Origins of Donek Pigeons
The history and origins of Donek pigeons are a little bit murky, there are different stories. However, the majority believe that Donek pigeons were bred in the early 20th century in North Macedonia.
According to some sources, Donek pigeons were bred from the Oriental roller pigeons that were brought by the Turks in the region. Whereas others say that Donek was bred from the cross between local pigeons and oriental rollers.
However, Donek pigeons became popular not only in North Macedonia but in the entire Balkans.
In 1959, this pigeon breed was recognized by the FCI (Federation Colombophile Internationale), a governing body of fancy and sports pigeons.
The Donek pigeons have been selectively bred for many years and the first person to come up with the idea of this breeding was Bora Vasic. He was a pigeon keeper who lived in Prishtina, Kosovo.
Vasic was pretty excited to develop a breed of pigeon that’s not only beautiful but is very skilled at flying too. To achieve that level of unique and distinctive pigeon breed, he crossed local pigeons with Oriental roller pigeons.
It’s not mentioned exactly how long it took, but after a while, he did develop the Donek pigeon breed.
Physical Characteristics And Features of Donek Pigeons
In this section, we’ll be taking you through how Donek pigeons look and what features make them stand out from the rest.
Appearance
Overall, Donek pigeons look very attractive; their eyes are white and they have a double white grayish ring. However, they look very good but can’t be compared with some fancy breeds such as pink-necked, frillback, etc.
Size and Body Structure
Compared to half-wild and plain pigeons, Donek is a little bigger. The length of this breed ranges between 28 to 32 cm. Has a strong head and is flat on the top.
The length of the head from the nose tip to the back is 2.5 – 2.8 cm.
Eyes are usually whitish, but in some black-colored pigeons, the eyes are a little darker colored. The beak measures around 20 – 28 mm from the tip to the jaw.
And it is a little bit curved and white colored mostly. However, in darker pigeons, the beak color can be black.
The neck is wide at the bottom and is proportionate to the head and chest. Talking about the chest, this breed’s chest is put slightly forward and the width is between 9.5 to 10.5 cm.
They have long wings and are tightly fitted to the body. The tail is also long and has 14 – 16 feathers, which are equally distributed.
Their legs are around 7 – 8 cm and their nails are usually white colored. In some darkish pigeons, the nails are darker.
Weight
Typically, average Donek pigeons weigh between 300 – 400 grams or 10.5 – 14.1 ounces. That being said, the weight varies depending on the gender. Male pigeons are a little bit heavier than the female ones.
Unique Features
Donek pigeons have a bunch of unique features that separate this breed from the others. Here, we’ll be looking at the unique physical features of this pigeon.
Donek pigeons come with a slender build and decent size neck, which makes them look remarkably attractive.
Their rounded and flat top of the head and short beak enhance their look. Some of these pigeons have double rings on the neck too.
They come in a lot of color variations; we’ll get into that in the coming section.
However, the most unique feature of Donek pigeons is their ability to perform aerial acrobatics. They are extremely skilled in spiral diving and aerial maneuvers.
Color Variations and Markings
As said before, Donek pigeons display a lot of color variations, let’s have a look at the most common ones.
- Solid white plumage with whitish eyes and beak
- Black plumage with darkish eyes and beak
- Red plumage with reddish eyes and red/whitish beak
- Black and white bands plumage
- Alternating patches of white and black
- Solid yellow plumage with a bluish beak and eyes
- White feathers with black spots plumage
Distribution And Habitat of Donek Pigeons
Let’s have a look at where Donek pigeons were developed, in which regions they are found widely when they migrate and their preferred location to live.
Geographic Distribution
Though in the beginning, Donek pigeons were found only in North Macedonia, now you can find them in most countries in the world. They are mostly found in the Middle East and Europe because this breed is very popular there.
However, they are also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Habitat Preferences
Donek is a fancy pigeon breed; hence, it doesn’t live in the wild. They might not even survive in the wild. Donek pigeons are kept as hobby and pet birds.
All the fancy pigeons love living in the spacious and clean loft with proper food, water and air supply and Doneks are no exception.
Urban and Rural Habitat
As mentioned before, Donek pigeons are not for living in the wild and they’re not widely found in rural areas. That’s because this breed is used to having a continuous supply of fresh food, water, clean loft and nesting boxes.
And these are not widely available in the rural areas.
On the other hand, in urban areas, you will find pigeons in parks, gardens, plazas, rooftops, balconies, window ledges, warehouses, abandoned buildings and other similar places.
The food and fresh water sources in urban areas are many for pigeons.
Migration and Seasonal Movements
Doneks aren’t migratory pigeons, usually, once they get comfortable, they love to stay in the same place all year round.
That being said, due to environmental changes, they might make seasonal movements. However, like wild pigeons, they usually don’t do long-distance flights. They find suitable homes around the old place.
Even though they migrate because of the bad weather, after a while, they do come back. This breed of pigeon is very good at navigating and finding their way home, even over long distances.
Their homing instinct is super strong. According to some experts, Donek pigeons may be able to sense the magnetic field of the Earth, which they use to navigate.
Threats and Conservation Status
This breed of pigeons is not considered to be threatened. However, there are some threats that can reduce their population.
The most common threats to most of small and medium-sized birds are hawks, owls, falcons and cats.
These predators seem to attack pigeons more in the wild. Apart from these predators, diseases can also be a big threat to any bird.
Regardless of all these threats, Donek and most other breeds of pigeons seem to be thriving pretty well. And since these fancy pigeons are mostly kept by people in the proper environment, their conservation status is good.
Behavior And Traits of Donek Pigeons
Common Personality Traits
The most common personality traits of Donek pigeons are they love and enjoy flying, doing aerial maneuvers and other entertaining stuff. They are always very energetic and fly pretty fast.
Donek pigeons are very intelligent. You can easily train them to perform various tricks with the help of treats. These are very affectionate pigeons and they bond pretty well with the owner.
Differences Between Wild and Domesticated Pigeons
There are a bunch of differences between wild and domesticated pigeons, let’s have a look –
| Domesticated Pigeons | Wild Pigeons |
|---|---|
| They are large and more colorful and their physical characteristics vary from breed to breed | Usually smaller, not very colorful and have longer necks. |
| Social pigeons bond well with people and aren’t aggressive | Not very social, flock together and can be aggressive |
| Lives in lofts, abandoned buildings, window ledges, etc | Lives in urban areas, typically in forests and cliffs |
| Used for racing, exhibitions, hobby, etc | Typically not used by humans |
Diet
Like any other animals, Donek pigeons also need a balanced diet that will fulfill their regular nutritional requirements. And their diet is the same as most other pigeons.
They can be fed commercial pigeon feed that includes all the vitamins, nutrients and minerals necessary for growth.
Or, these pigeons can be fresh seeds, grains, fruits and vegetables too, that will also fulfill the daily dose of nutrients.
Apple, Bananas, Broccoli, Carrots, Berries, Spinach, Grains, Seeds and Nuts, all of these can be fed to pigeons for the betterment of their health.
Temperament
Donek is a very social breed of pigeon, they bond very well with the owner and are not aggressive at all. They are very intelligent and can be trained to do tricks.
Flight
As you already have many unique characteristics of Donek pigeons, you might be wondering how the flight of this breed is, right? Well, the flight and rolling ability of this pigeon is spectacular.
These pigeons can fly fast and very high, up to 500 meters. And they usually take flights for 1 – 3 hours, rarely more than that.
Nesting, Breeding and Courtship
The female Doneks are most likely to build their nest in a proper loft or anywhere that’s a sheltered place. Like most other pigeons, they also use leaves, twigs, thin branches and other similar materials to build the nest.
Usually, Donek pigeons lay two eggs at the same time and incubate them for around 18 days. This pigeon breed is monogamous, which means they mate for life.
The male pigeon starts the courtship by cooing and tries to impress the female with the plumage.
If the female Donek is impressed, she allows the male to approach and mount her to mate. After hatching both the male and female, Donek takes care of the chicks until they fledge the nest.
Lifespan
On average, Donek pigeons live around 10 – 15 years. That being said, some Donek pigeons can live up to 20 years. It all mostly depends on what they eat, drink, where they live, etc.
Homing Instinct
Donek pigeons are pretty well known for their incredible homing instinct, no matter how far it is and how long it has been, they can still find their oil home.
Experts say this incredible skill of Donek pigeons is based on a combination of some factors: magnetism, landmarks and the sun.
It’s said that Donek pigeons may be able to sense the magnetic field of the Earth, which they use to navigate.
They also remember the landmarks such as rivers, mountains, coastlines, etc., which help them navigate. And lastly, they might use the sun to find the way.
Breeding And Maintenance of Donek Pigeons
It requires a lot of patience and hard work to successfully breed any pigeons.
Here, we’ll be looking at some tips on the maintenance and breeding of Donek pigeons.
Information About Raising and Breeding
Impressed with Donek Pigeons? Looking for some information about raising and breeding them? Here you go.
It can be rewarding to raise and breed Donek pigeons since they are beautiful, intelligent, strong and have some good skills. Here are some tips for raising and breeding these pigeons properly –
- Keep the pigeons in a clean and roomy loft that is well-ventilated and allows sunlight.
- Feed the pigeons a balanced diet that will fulfill all their nutritional requirements.
- Provide fresh water every day, don’t forget to clean the water bowl daily
- In summer, make sure they are hydrated and in winter, make sure they are warm
- Check them regularly for diseases and do all the needed vaccinations
- Provide all the nesting materials, such as straws, leaves, thin branches, wood shavings, etc.
Some Tips and Considerations for Successful Breeding
If you’re interested in breeding Donek pigeons, the tips below might be extremely beneficial for you. Check them out –
- When you’re choosing the breeding stock, make sure to pick one that’s healthy and comes from a good bloodline.
- Ensure the breeding stock is properly vaccinated and is free from all kinds of diseases.
- Look for any sign of injury or illness, if there is any, have a vet check it up.
- Keep both the pigeons in the same loft and try to keep them inside the loft for more than 12 hours.
Feeding and Housing Requirements
If the birds don’t have a comfortable home and good food, thriving would be a struggle. Thus, if you’re thinking about petting Donek pigeons, knowing all their requirements is a must. So, what are the feeding and housing requirements of Donek pigeons?
Not only Donek, but most of the pigeons need a combination of grains, seeds, nuts and fresh fruits and vegetables to complete their daily dose of nutrition.
Nowadays, you can find commercial pigeon food and you can feed the Doneks these foods.
That being said, it’d be best if you could cut fruits and vegetables into tiny pieces and feed them at least twice a week. And fresh water every single day is a must.
Don’t let them drink even a day-old water, chances are high they will fall sick.
The housing requirement of Donek pigeons is very simple, they just need a spacious loft that is clean. A loft that allows sunlight to enter and is well-ventilated so that fresh air can come. And it’s safe from predators. That’s it.
Final Word
Donek pigeons are indeed an attractive breed that any bird lover would love to pet. It comes with jaw-dropping skill sets that will make anyone fall in love with these birds.
However, breeding and maintaining these pigeons can be a little complex. Since you need to take care of a lot of things such as a cleaned loft, good food, fresh water, regular checkups for illness and injury, medications, vaccination, etc.
With that said, wrapping it up. Hope you got all the information you were looking for. To get more pieces like this one, make sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News.