Description / Characteristics and History of the Breed

Description / Characteristics:

The Classic Frill pigeon is a fancy pigeon that has been breed mainly for show or exhibition purposes.  It is a very good pet as the disposition of the breed is calmer than some pigeon breeds.  The Classic Frill has direct ties to the Oriental Frill, Old-Fashioned Oriental Frill or Old Style Oriental Frill and is the precursor with subsequent breeding to the Modern Oriental Frill (crossing the precursors with other short-faced, frilled varieties like the Oriental Owl and Turbit). 

The Classic Frill pigeon is a small to medium sized breed.  It is a very beautiful and striking bird due to its unique appearance with peak crest (needle-point), well-developed continuous feather mane on the back of the neck, chest frill (being about 1-2 inches in length), feather lacing, grouse muffed legs and toes, medium sized beak, and larger eyes. It is a cobby bird and has a jaunty disposition. The head of the Classic Frill pigeon is roundish to slightly oval, substantial and wide. The forehead flows in a smooth, continuous curve from the tip of the beak to the tip of the peak crest. 

There are two main varieties of the breed with Satinettes and Blondinettes. 

Satinettes have a white head and body.  They have either lacing on wings/tails or solid wing shield colors with white bars.  Their tail-colored markings consist of Moon Spots (spot tails) or lacing.

Blondinettes bodies (head, neck, body, legs) are colored (blue, brown, black, etc.), e.g. entire plumage being colored.  They have either white bars or lacing on the wing shields and Moon Spots (spot tails) or lacing on the tail. Some varieties may have the lacing extending over most of the body.

A great description of the Classic Frill pigeon is from Danielle Ramsey (Purebred Pigeon, September/October 2016), where she said, "Dressed to kill in elegant lace, there stands this jaunty little bird with the sweetest expression on its cherubic little face with big, round, dark eyes and the fluffiest little cheek crowned with a needle-point peak crest.  It struts with just enough of a swagger to accentuate the bell-bottom flare of it luxurious Grouse Muffs, its chest proudly out-thrust to display an ideally long, even frill, reminiscent of the ruffles on a gentleman's regency shirt (example picture of George Washington on this page with his frill/ruffled shirt). What a stunning little work of living art!"

The Classic Oriental Frill [Classic Frill] is an exhibition breed of pigeon from the Owl family. It is also known as the Old Fashioned Oriental Frill and the Old Style Oriental Frill. It is the precursor breed from which the Modern Oriental Frill was created and continuation of the Oriental Frill or Classic Old Frill [Classic Frill]. It is a beautiful ancient pigeon breed, which is seen on exhibit at major American and Canadian shows, and by owners across the world.  

Selective breeding has changed features between Classic and Modern Frills that generally look similar with colors and markings. The significant differences between the Classic Frills and Modern Oriental Frills is with the size of the body and importantly beak length.  The Modern Oriental Frill pigeon breed was created from the Oriental Frill / Old-Fashioned Frills thru selective breeding methods with Oriental Owls and Turbits. The result being that the Modern Oriental Frill is a larger pigeon with exaggerated beaks that were bred down to an extremely short and blunt shape, making them unable to feed their young. The original Oriental Frill / Old-Fashioned Frill breed did not possess this feature making it possible for them to still feed their young.  Modern Oriental Frills have short stubby beaks often requiring foster parents as feeders, while Classic Frills (Classic Old Frills or Old Fashioned Oriental Frills) have a medium beak and do not need foster feeders, of another long-beaked breed.  share similar colors and markings.  Classic Oriental Frills (Classic Frills) are small/medium birds with an average weight about 11 to 12 ounces (320 to 340 grams) whereas Modern Oriental Frills are larger. 

The pictures on this page of / from Wendell M. Levi's Encyclopedia Pigeon Breeds of the Oriental Frills are more towards the Classics of today with beaks slightly longer.