English Magpie Pigeon with Origin Description Size Ornaments Color Comment Pictures and Video

Origin: England. The English and the American Magpie are descended from the German Magpie, or Elster Tumbler, which was imported into England before 1876. The English, desiring a bird with greater length, reach, and style, more erect station, longer legs, and narrower and longer head and beak, modified the German breed. The new English Magpies became very popular and in 1908 there were 489 Magpies entered at the Kingston show in England. The French Bagdad was out crossed to in 1908 and most modern English Magpies carry this Bagdad blood. In 1912 a young black hen was shown-so good she brought a price of 100 pounds.

Description: An exhibition bird. It is slender, erect, and stylish. Its beak, head, neck, body, wings, tail and legs are all very long, but in good balance.

Size: Small to medium, even though the bird is rather tall. Average weight 14 to 16 ounces.

Ornaments: It is plain headed and clean legged. Its long beak, head, neck, and other parts are a far departure from the wild type.

Colors: Black, dun, blue, silver, red, yellow, cream, pearl and Isabel. Its color pattern is magpie that is colored head, neck, tail, back, scapulars and the breast, the letter to the point of the wishbone. All other parts wings, belly and thighs are white.

Comment: The Magpie was exhibited in the United States in 1873. It has always been very popular with a number of interested breeders, especially in the sates of New York and New Jersey but it is not widely bred. It is sponsored by the American Magpie Club

Seven steps must follows for Pigeon growing:

The requirements for pigeon breeding are simple, but they must be followed to be successful. There should be no relaxing or neglect at any time, for it is much easier to prevent trouble than to eliminate disease, parasites or vermin once these have occurred.

1. A dry house with the inside protected from rain or snow.

2. Separate houses for mated pairs and odd birds.

3. A flypen, if the breed requires one that dries out easily.

4.  A suitable feed ration protected from contamination.

5. A suitable mineral ration protected from contamination.

6. Water suitable for human consumption protected from contamination.

7. Suitable nesting materials.

If any one of the seven is neglected, trouble of some sort will eventually occur.

References: Wendell Mitchell Levi (1891-1976), accepted everywhere as Mr. Pigeon

English Magpie Pigeon Pictures Gallery 

Watch English Magpie Pigeon Video on YouTube