THE History Of The Long face Tumbler

                         by Robert D. Wood. **

Tumblers are considered as one of the oldest known varieties of pigeons with their exact place of origin unknown by reason of their very antiquity. Literature indicates their existence in India before 1600 with their origin probably in the East and later being brought to Europe. Early descriptions indicate the early tumblers were small with many different colours and capable of flying at night and ascending to great heights. A behaviour peculiar to the tumblers was described as turning themselves back- wards over their heads. By the eighteenth century the tumbler was de- scribed as being short of body, full breasted, thin-necked, and spindle beaked with the Dutch Tumbler being larger than the English Tumbler and sometimes possessing feathers on the feet. Common colours included blacks, whites, reds, duns, yellows, blues, silvers, and almonds. Literature in the late 1700's described tumblers that were "baldpated" with a white head, white flights, and white tail and also black and blue beards. Tumblers were bred primarily for their aerial ability rather than for other characteristics with more interest in the plumage by 1765.

During the nineteenth century, development of the Short-faced tumbler occurred in England with emphasis upon the show bird with its aerial ability eventually being lost. Through selective breeding the tumbler with the remarkable short face and a bulging frontal evolved while losing its ability to perform and becoming strictly a show bird. By 1851 the colors included almond mottles, blue and black bars, almonds ,kites, agates, and selfs, The wings were carried below the tail. Other English breeders were improving the flying tumblers, which became known as the Long-faced Tumblers. As breeders began to breed the Long-faced Tumblers for the show room they also lost their aerial ability. The long faced tumblers evolved into a bird with more frontal space be- Between the eye and upper beak wattle and carried their tail folded over the tail. Show birds consisted of many colors in both clean-legged and muffed tumblers. Some pigeon fanciers still wanted to fly their tumblers rather than show thern resulting in the development of the present day Rollers, Tipplers, and Flights. As interest in- creased with the breeders wanting to show their birds, we see the development of the Snow Tippler, the American Domestic Flights, and the Modem Show Flights.

The Tumbler was one of the first breeds of pigeons imported to the United States. According to early show records it apparently was one of the most popular fancy breeds during the early history of Show pigeons. Early show records indicated many colors and patterns including L.F.C.L. selfs, bars, baldheads, beards, mottles proper, mottle rose wings, and mottle white sides and L.F. Muffed selfs, bars, saddles, badges, beards, baldheads, mottle roswings, mottle Whiteside, and motle almonds.

Information was obtained from the THE PIGEON by Wendell M. Levi and Summarized by Robert D. Wood.

** PIGEON DEBUT FEB1998