Parlor Roller
The parlor roller, also called the parlor tumbler in some circles, is a domestic pigeon selected for rolling on the ground rather than tumbling in the air. It descends from Columba livia but has been bred for a strong rolling response that can send a bird backward across a floor for measurable distance. Competition birds are judged on distance, straightness, style, and control, while some hobbyists keep them simply as a curiosity of the pigeon fancy. They should not be confused with Birmingham rollers or Oriental rollers, which perform their rolls in flight.
Parlor rollers need housing that respects their limited flying ability and unusual movement. Low perches, safe floors, and a secure loft or pen reduce injuries from falls, collisions, and predators. Birds used for rolling contests are handled and released on suitable surfaces, not turned loose to free fly like homers. Breeding should favor birds that roll strongly but remain healthy, feed normally, and can rear young. New keepers should be prepared for the welfare responsibility that comes with maintaining an extreme performance trait.
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
