Morphological Characteristics of Şanlıurfa Yapışan (Tumbler) Pigeons (Columba livia domestica)

Abstract

Şanlıurfa is referred to as one of the pigeon domestication centers. It is also believed that most of the pigeon breeds in Turkey originated from Şanlıurfa pigeons. This study was carried out to determine the morphological characteristics of the Şanlıurfa Yapışan (Tumbler) pigeon native to Şanlıurfa in Turkey. The animal material of the study, according to their age, was 06-12 months (Group 1, n=43), 13-24 months (Group 2, n=49), and > 24 months (Group 3, n=36), as well as male (n=65) and female (n=63) 128 heads of Yapışan pigeons. Chosen for their ability to somersault or roll backwards during flight, Tumbler pigeons are one of the domesticated pigeons descended from the Rock pigeon. All the Yapışan pigeons have trotters. The trotter feathers are soft, curved to the side, overlapping, and give the foot a thick appearance. The leg pads above the elbow are curved in and out, giving the feeling of covering between the legs, and the pads do not go beyond the toes. The difference between the sex groups was statistically significant in terms of all the other features except tail length in the morphological features examined. The effect of age on wingspan (P<0.001), wing length (P<0.05) and, tail length (P<0.001) was determined to be significant. The findings of this study verified the view that Yapışan pigeons are a breed. Supporting this result with future genetic characterization and similar studies will be meaningful.