Pigeons often get a bad rap for seeming dirty and gathering en masse to feed on ground scraps in urban parks and coastal areas. However, there's more to this species than most realize. Aside from common pigeons being woefully misunderstood, there is a whole category of birds known as "fancy" pigeons. These area domesticated birds descended from the wild rock dove (Columba livia) that have been selectively bred, over centuries, for certain unusual traits, be it peculiar foot plumage, ballooning necks, or minuscule beaks.
Breeding pigeons for aesthetic qualities might raise some ethical concerns, but it's hard to argue that they aren't, well, fancy. Here are 12 of the most bizarre-looking ones of the group.
