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The Jacobin :The bird of Aristocracy
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The Jacobin is one of many very old domestic pigeon breeds. Undisputed knowledge
of its origin simply does not exist. Some accounts place the origin of the
breed in India, while others say Cyprus. What can be established is that
by the 16th century, Jacobins had arrived in Europe to stay.
The Jacobin received its European name because of the hood of feathers enveloping
the back and both sides of its head. This hood resembles the cap on garments
worn by the Jacobin order of monks. For others, Jacobins bring back memories,
not of monks, but rather of women with feathery boas draped about their necks
It is an excellent exhibition breed, attracting attention everywhere it is
shown. The Jacobin is bred throughout the world, with the nucleus of breeders
located in Germany and England.
Queen Victoria prized the Jacobins above all other varieties and made a point
of obtaining outstanding specimens from time to time to improve her own birds.
She did not compete in shows, but Jacobin fanciers sent some of their
best birds to her lofts and frequently received from her even better
individuals, produced under the Queen's loving supervision. Can you
pick out the two Jacobins
from the other two breeds in this painting by Hashime Murayama?
The Jacobin has changed remarkably over the past 80 years, perhaps more than
any other fancy pigeon, as shown by
these paintings of
Ludlow. Years ago it was regarded as rather small, with
the rule being, the smaller, the better. Today's bird is rather of medium
size, but thin, and looks considerably larger than it really is, owing to
its hood feathering, and its long length of flight feathers and tail. The
most remarkable feature of the Jacobin is its extremely ornate feather adornment
starting at the base of the neck and forming a chain going beyond the top
of the head. Viewed from the side, the feathers grow out in all directions
from the neck, forming what is called a rosette. This chain and rosette compose
the hood that completely engulfs the top and sides of the head, covering
the bird's face from every
angle except directly from the front. The more pronounced the hood and
chain, the higher the quality of the specimen.
As noted in the National
Pigeon Association standard, the hood, chain, and mane are the main show
constituents of the breed. The Jacobin is, essentially, a dramatic bird of
feather and carriage. The hood is long, coming well forward, thick and even
at the edge, fitting as close to the head as possible. The wings and tail
feathers are very long for a pigeon of its size.
Jacobins are bred in a remarkable number of colors, including
white,
black,
blue, silver,
red,
yellow, splash, and many
other non-standard colors. The colored varieties' tail, rump, primary flights,
and cap remain pure white. The white cap extends from the beak, in a line,
back to the hood. The primary flights are the 10 most outward flight feathers
in the wings.
Because of their fancy look, Jacobins had for a long time been regarded as
delicate pigeons that should be bred only by experienced fanciers. This really
is not true. The breed is hardy and regarded as a good parent, even though
they eat comparatively little. However, because of their hoods, Jacobins
cannot see very well to the sides and fly very little, preferring to stay
on the floor. The breed is best kept to itself in a smaller cote, away from
other breeds, but this is no handicap. Viewing a few pair of Jacobins, strutting
their stuff about the floor with their large feather hoods flowing through
the air, is a sight indeed.
They are often compared to, and sometimes noted as being related to, the
Old Dutch Capuchine. But don’t let any Jacobin or Dutch Capuchine breeders
hear this heresy.
