Lucerne Tiger-Head
Among the Lucerne color pigeons, the tiger-head is the variety identified by a mottled head pattern rather than a plain cap or solid-colored head. Colored and white feathers create the tigered effect, set on the compact, tidy body type associated with Swiss Luzerner pigeons. Like all domestic pigeons, it descends from Columba livia. Color bases can include blue, black, brown, ash red, dilute, checker, bar, grizzle, and other recognized pigeon modifiers, but the head marking is the feature that separates it from plainer Lucerne varieties.
This pigeon is mostly a show and hobby bird, so good stock is judged on both body type and the placement of the head markings. Tigered patterns can vary from nestmate to nestmate, and breeding usually means keeping careful notes on which pairings produce a clear, balanced head without muddying the rest of the bird. Care is straightforward for a fancy pigeon: clean nest boxes, dry perches, protection from predators, and feed adjusted so the birds stay firm rather than fat. New keepers should buy from someone who can show adult birds after the molt, when the final marking is easier to judge.
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
