Memel Highflyer
The Memel highflyer is a Baltic highflying pigeon associated with Memel, the historic German name for Klaipėda in present-day Lithuania. Developed from domestic rock pigeons, Columba livia, it belongs to the highflyer group: birds selected to climb, circle high above the loft, and remain on the wing for long periods under skilled handling. The name is tied to flying style, stamina, homing attachment, and a regional tradition shaped by German, Lithuanian, and East Prussian pigeon culture.
Managing Memel highflyers is closer to conditioning small athletes than keeping a purely ornamental breed. Young birds are settled carefully to the loft, trained in calm weather, and fed so they are light enough to fly but not undernourished. Falcon and hawk pressure is a real concern in many areas, and some keepers use enclosed aviaries for valuable breeding birds. Pairing should protect flight character as much as appearance, because a highflyer line can lose its purpose quickly if selected only for color or show points.
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
