Zurich White-Tail

The Zurich white-tail is a Swiss fancy pigeon breed developed from the domestic rock pigeon, Columba livia, and associated with the Zurich region. It belongs to the color pigeon tradition: the bird is valued less for exaggerated shape than for a balanced pigeon outline and a clean, contrasting tail mark. The defining feature is the white tail set against a colored body, with show lines occurring in blue bar, barless, checker, black, ash red, brown, dilute, dun, grizzle, indigo, almond, and related patterns depending on the local standard. Good birds look neat and alert, with the tail marking sharp enough that small smudges or stray colored feathers are noticeable in the show pen.

Keepers manage Zurich white-tails much like other exhibition pigeons, with a dry ventilated loft, secure flying space or aviary time, bathing water, grit, minerals, and a grain mix adjusted to breeding or molting season. Pairing is usually planned around both type and markings, because a bird with strong color may still be unsuitable for a white-tail breeding program if the tail or coverts are poorly marked. Buyers should ask which standard the breeder follows, since Swiss breed names and translations can vary between clubs and countries.

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