HISTORY:
Conceived and created by Frank Mosca of Montclair CA in the 1990’s.
The bird’s color and pattern is intended to suggest the wild
Hildebrandt’s Starling (Lamprotornis hildebrandti formerly known as Spreo hildebrandti) of Kenya and east Africa.
Selected crosses of Gimpel, Donek and Marchenero Cropper were
used in its creation. It is intended that one day this pigeon shall have
the most mirror-like plumage of any domestic pigeon in the world.OVERVIEW:
A medium weight, 370 gram - 454 gram (13-16 oz.), lively and friendly
pigeon. Breeders must always remember the personality of the bird in
the loft is as important a breed characteristic as is color and marking.General Characteristics:
HEAD: Field pigeon like, but somewhat stronger in build, with only a slightly rising forehead; they are always plainheaded.
THROAT: Well cut out with no evidence of a gullet.
NECK: Medium length, carried forward from the shoulders and tapering up to the head. Birds may show slight evidence of a crop from their pouter ancestry, though this is not preferred.
BREAST: Well rounded, slightly protruding. The bird should have an athletic build.
EYES: Yellow. The more intense yellow, the better. While a medium or pale yellow is presently allowed, a deeply colored, brilliant yellow eye is preferred with little to no blood vessel covering being shown..
BEAK: Long, and dark in color, the upper beak being only slightly bowed at the tip.
WATTLES: Small, fine, powdery white.
CERES: Small, fine, almost invisible.
BACK: Somewhat wide at the shoulders and tapering away to the tail.
LEGS & TOES: Carmine red and free of feathers below the hocks.
TAIL: Held tightly closed. Retrices may show evidence of bronzing along the feather shaft. A dark tail, i.e., one showing little or no evidence of a tail bar is preferred. Twelve tail feathers are preferred. The outer tail feathers may show evidence of an albescent strip. In flight, these two outer feathers may also be seen to be separated from the others by a gap of approximately 1 cm. This is not a fault and should be encouraged.
WINGS: Long and carried well closed, the wing primaries just about reaching the end of the tail. Held on the tail, without crossing at the tip.
FLIGHTS: When held closed on the bird, they are to look as dark as possible;
when spread, they often show evidence of bronzing on the inner webbing.
PLUMAGE: Fairly tight, showing much iridescence. The rump feathers should be longish.
COLOR/MARKINGS: The upper body is almost black. The lower body a deep, intense ocher. This color continues under the body and suffuses even those feathers (the wedge) which provide a cushion for the tail. Notwithstanding this, the feathers of the hock should be as dark as the upper body to suggest the bird is wearing black leggings. The dark color of the upper body should end in a clean, straight cut about 1 cm above the wing butts and continue in a straight line across the breast. Reflected light should show extreme iridescence, preferably green, all over the dark parts of the bird. The dark areas of the neck/crop area should show an intermixture of green and purple so that at the line of demarcation between the upper dark and lower body ocher, there are actually four colors showing in the sun; purple, green, gold and black. The ocher-colored underbody parts should also show extreme iridescence, preferably reddish. Iridescence should not be confined simply to the edge of each feather but should form a band spreading into the feather. This band should begin at the tip and continue up to where the feather is covered by other feathers. The more mirror-like the plumage, the better. Birds having grease-quills are to be preferred.Minor Faults:
Evidence of pin-feathers on toes. Eye color other than yellow. Light colored or faded out back or rump. Brownish or bronze color on black of head or upper body. Any color other than ocher showing in base color of visible underbody feathers, except for legging effect. 13-15 tail feathers. Double-nippled oil gland.Major faults:
White back or rump. White feathers anywhere, including in the primary flights. Clear evidence of checking or bar on wing. High frontal. Thick neck. Wings carried below tail. Ocher not showing at all in vent or under tail area. More than 15 tail feathers. Total lack of oil gland.Disqualifications:
Lack of proper body type or markings. Crest. Frill. Webbed toes. Evidence of current disease. Infestation of external parasites - at judge’s discretion. Any evidence of an attempt to deceive - at judge’s discretion. (Normal show preparation procedures do not fall under this heading.)EXPLANATION OF TERMINOLOGY
Albescent strip: A lighter, almost white, strip often found on the outside edge of the outer two tail feathers of many pigeons.
Grease Quills: Mutated semi-plumes which run in a band on either side of the bird from the wing to the oil-gland. They appear like partially opened pin-feathers, resembling a small painter’s brush, and exude a powdery waxy, or oily, substance.
