Oriental Roller
The Oriental roller is a domestic performance pigeon connected with old Turkish, Middle Eastern, and eastern Mediterranean roller traditions. Like other roller pigeons, it descends from Columba livia but has been selected for the instinct to tumble or roll backward in flight. Good birds are judged less by color than by control, frequency, depth, and safe recovery. Some families are kept mainly for flying, while others have drifted toward exhibition type, so the name can cover birds with different priorities.
A loft of Oriental rollers needs regular flying if the breeder wants to preserve performance. Youngsters are usually flown in small kits, trained to trap promptly, and watched for birds that roll too low or lose control near roofs, wires, or trees. Feeding is often managed around flight work, with lighter rations before training and more support during molt or breeding. Anyone buying stock should ask to see the family flown when possible, because a pretty roller that is never tested may not represent the working strain.
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
