The Capuchine pigeon:

The Capuchine pigeon is one of the older pigeon breeds and likely dates back to the Middle East, Greece or India for its origins. Dutch sailors probably brought Capuchines back to Holland no later than the 1500's by Dutch sailors. We know of its presence in Holland in the 1500's by its depiction in several of the Dutch Masters works of art. Imported into the United States in the 1960s, the Old Dutch Capuchine has enjoyed relative popularity as a rare breed.
Appearance is graceful, medium small size pigeon, medium high, with a horizontally carried body. Short, broad between shoulders, gradually tapering off towards the tail. The horizontal carriage is highly desired. A vertical line is dropped from the center of the eye, should locate about 30 mm in front of the leg. The head is of medium length, very well rounded. It is not "pinch faced" and broad enough at the back to be a sound base for a broad hood.


The beak is Medium in length, with slightly curved at the tip. Colors of eyes are Iris, pearl white and lively. Ceres of fine texture, red to flesh colored. The neck is of medium length. Tapering to blend smoothly into the breast and shoulders. The breast are broad and full, carried just forward of the tip of the beak when stood at attention. The throat is free from gullet, well cut back. The back is broad between the shoulders, gradually tapering off towards the rump. The wings are not too long, carried well up i.e. lying properly closed on the back and tail terminating about 1 cm from the end of the tail. The tail is short rather than long in proportion to length of body. Rather narrow and well closed.
The legs are medium in length; shanks and toes are not feathered. Legs are bright red in color. Thigh feathers not so long as to make the legs look short. The hood is upright and broad, not pinched or ‘V’ shaped, with as many feather layers as possible. Fully feathered down the back of the neck (mane) with no breaks. The mane to blend imperceptibly with the chain below the rosette. The collar (chain) is unbroken line from the hood to the lower part of the shoulders, to blend with the mane. In no case should the chain feathers from either side meet in the front. They must keep distance from the cheeks and reach up to the lower part of the eye ceres when viewed from the side. On either side of the neck there is an elliptical rosette, set as low as possible.
Capuchine pigeons are bred in monk markings with the solitary exception being white self’s. Even in tigered varieties, the monk marking should be discernible. The head is white until half to three-quarters of an inch below the beak. Also white are 7 to 12 primary flights, the tail, and the underbelly. Old Dutch Capuchines are found in a wide variety of colors such as red, yellow, black, dun, tigered, barred in blue, silver, mealy, and cream, self white, and some of the rarer colors like almond, andalusian, dominant opal, reduced, and brown.


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