Polish Barb
The Polish Barb is a local Polish expression of the barb type, an old family of fancy pigeons with a compact body, broad head, short beak, and developed beak wattle and eye ceres. Like all domestic pigeons it descends from Columba livia, but it has been shaped for exhibition rather than speed or utility production. Good birds look rounded and balanced, with smooth feathering and an alert expression; color varieties can include plain, barred, checker, grizzle, and dilute forms depending on the standard.
Polish Barbs suit keepers who enjoy close breeding for head quality and show condition. The facial skin should be clean and healthy, and short-faced birds may need more nest monitoring than plain field or utility pigeons. A simple loft with dry floors, bath water, grit, and separate breeding pens is usually enough, but overcrowding quickly spoils feather and eye-cere condition. When buying, check age because cere size increases with maturity and young birds can look unfinished.
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
