Lucerne Shield
A Swiss color-pigeon variety, the Lucerne shield belongs to the Luzerner or Lucerne family developed around the canton of Lucerne from the domestic rock pigeon, Columba livia. It is named for the shield marking: the wing coverts carry the main color while the surrounding body pattern is kept clean and sharply defined. Lines may be found in familiar pigeon colors such as blue, black, brown, ash red, dilute, checker, bar, grizzle, and related modifiers, depending on the standard used by the club. The bird is generally a neat, medium-sized color pigeon rather than an extreme pouter, homer, or meat breed.
In the loft, Lucerne shields are kept mainly for exhibition and preservation breeding. Breeders pay close attention to the edge of the wing shield, evenness of color, eye and head quality, and a vigorous body that can still rear young. They do well in the usual fancy-pigeon setup: a dry, well-ventilated loft, secure aviary space, grit, minerals, and a balanced grain mix. Buyers should ask which national or club standard the breeder follows, because small differences in marking expectations can matter at shows.
Colors: Almond, Ash Red, Bar, Barless, Black, Blue, Brown, Checker, Dilute, Dun, Grizzle, Indigo, Mottle, Opal, Pied, Recessive Red, Red, Silver, Splash, Spread, White, Yellow
