Maltese

With its long legs and upright stance, the Maltese pigeon is one of the classic chicken pigeon breeds. It is a fancy domestic pigeon, often called the Maltese hen pigeon, shaped into a high-station bird with a long neck, lifted breast, short back, tight feathering, and clean legs. The name suggests the Mediterranean, but the modern exhibition Maltese was developed and standardized largely by European fanciers. Its outline is closer to a small game fowl than to a feral street pigeon.

Maltese are kept primarily for show and for the breeding challenge of maintaining type without losing vigor. Their tall stance calls for perches and nest boxes that are easy to enter without awkward jumps, and the tight body shape should not be pushed so far that fertility or rearing ability suffers. Color varieties differ by registry, but type is usually more important than rare color. Buyers should look for sound legs, clear breathing, and parents that can feed squabs reliably, as extreme exhibition lines sometimes need extra management.

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