Tippler

The tippler is an endurance-flying domestic pigeon, developed chiefly in Britain from old tumbler, highflyer, and related flying stock. Unlike rolling tumblers, its purpose is sustained flight in a small kit, often at great height, followed by a reliable return to the loft when signaled. Appearance is functional and varies among families, but good tipplers tend to be medium or compact birds with strong wings, tight feathering, calm trap response, and the mental steadiness needed for long flights. Competition strains are often identified by breeder names or local lines rather than by one show-ring outline.

Keeping tipplers is a training discipline as much as pigeon keeping. Birds are conditioned through routine, carefully timed feed and water, and many are trained to drop and trap when a dropper pigeon appears. Weather judgment, hawk pressure, heat, fog, and recovery feeding all affect welfare and performance; club-supervised record flights can run for many hours, but unfit or poorly trained birds should not be pushed. Buyers should ask what a family has done in the air, not only how it looks. A secure, dry loft, quarantine for newcomers, grit, minerals, and predictable handling help keep a flying team settled.

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