Pigeon glossary

The words Egyptian fanciers actually use — from kantara and abshad to ring and race — with their English equivalents and a plain definition.

All categories Anatomy & body Colours & markings Breeding Health Genetics Showing & judging Racing & flying Loft & equipment General

78 terms

A

Ablaq (pied)الأبلقColours & markings: A classic Egyptian pied pattern: white body with colour on the wing butts, cheeks and sometimes tail. It branches into many colours and forms one of the main Ghuzar famil…
Ash-redالأحمرColours & markings: One of the three base pigments (ash-red), dominant over blue and sex-linked. Seen in Egyptian varieties such as ablaq ahmar and the red homer.
Azazi (blue)الأزازيColours & markings: The wild-type blue-grey colour of pigeons; Egyptian fanciers call it azazi (glass-coloured). It appears with a bar or checker pattern depending on genetics.

B

Barالبار (الشريطان)Colours & markings: Two dark stripes across the wing shield — the simplest pattern and the wild type; genetically recessive to checker and dominant to barless.
Barlessالجناح النظيفColours & markings: A wing shield with no bars or checks — the most recessive pattern and relatively rare; sought in some European breeds and seen in Egyptian 'rayeq' varieties.
Bathالحمّام (الحوض)Loft & equipment: A shallow pan of clean water offered once or twice a week (more during moult). Bathing keeps feathers in condition and reduces external parasites; remove it after an hour…
BeakالمنقارAnatomy & body: Length, thickness, set and angle where it meets the forehead. Short-faced Egyptian breeds want a short, thick, well-set beak; a long thin one is a serious fault there.
Black (spread)الأسودColours & markings: Produced by the spread gene covering the whole pattern with dark pigment over blue. A glossy, even black is wanted; dull or brownish black is a colour fault.
Breeding (raising young)التفريخBreeding: The cycle of producing squabs: mating, two eggs, 17–18 days of incubation, then rearing until weaning at about 28–35 days. In Egypt the best season avoids peak summer hea…

C

Canker (trichomoniasis)القلاع (التريكوموناس)Health: A very common protozoal infection showing as yellow cheesy patches in the mouth and throat with a foul smell, spread through shared water and crop milk. Treated with spec…
Certificate of evaluationشهادة التصديقShowing & judging: A document issued by a Ghuzar breed committee after evaluation: total score, per-criterion scores, judges and date, tied to the ring and registration numbers and verifiab…
CheckerالمشجرColours & markings: A wing pattern of dark checks instead of bars, ranging from light to dark (T-pattern); dominant over bar.
CheeksالخدودAnatomy & body: The sides of the face below the eye and behind the beak. Full, rounded cheeks complete the frontal curve and are a standalone Ghuzar judging criterion.
Chest (keel box)صندوق الصدرAnatomy & body: Width, depth and fullness of the chest between the wing butts. A broad, rounded, lifted chest gives the bird its stance and is a scored criterion in Egyptian judging.
CoccidiosisالكوكسيدياHealth: An intestinal parasite causing diarrhoea, weakness and wasting, especially in young or stressed birds, thriving in damp crowded lofts. Diagnosed from droppings; treated w…
CrestالقنزعةAnatomy & body: Raised feathers at the back of the head forming a peak or shell crest. Many breeds come crested and plain; crest shape and symmetry are judged.
CropالحوصلةAnatomy & body: A pouch at the base of the neck where grain is stored before digestion and where crop milk is produced. A gas-filled or foul-smelling crop signals disease such as canker.
Crop milkلبن الحوصلةBreeding: A protein- and fat-rich secretion from the crop lining of both parents fed to squabs in their first days; its absence in the first week is a leading cause of squab loss.
CrossbredالهجينGenetics: The offspring of two different breeds. Often hardier (hybrid vigour) but not accepted in pure-breed shows; Egyptian markets call it 'mixed'.

D

Disqualifying faultالعيب الفادحShowing & judging: A fault that removes the bird from judging regardless of its other merits: wrong eye colour for the breed, a long beak in a short-faced breed, a spinal deformity, or visi…
Dominant traitصفة سائدةGenetics: A trait expressed with a single copy of the gene from either parent (ash-red over blue, checker over bar). Its opposite, recessive, needs two copies.

E

External parasites (lice, mites)الطفيليات الخارجيةHealth: Feather lice, skin mites and the blood-sucking red mite that feeds at night. Signs are holed feathers, itching and restlessness; treat birds and loft together or they ret…
EyeالعينAnatomy & body: Iris colour, brightness and placement. Each breed has a preferred eye colour (pearl, orange, bull/dark, or red); dull or odd-coloured eyes are faulted.
Eyelids (eye cere)الجفونAnatomy & body: The bare skin ring around the eye (the cere). Colour, thickness and smoothness are judged; a fine, evenly coloured cere is wanted and a coarse or swollen one is a fault.

F

Face (sahna)السحنةAnatomy & body: The overall look of the face — frontal curve, beak, eye, eyelids and cheeks together. In Ghuzar judging it is a standalone, heavily weighted criterion.
Fancier (breeder)المربّيGeneral: Someone who keeps pigeons as a hobby or business. Egyptians say 'ghawi' for the devoted hobbyist and 'murabbi' for one who breeds and sells; Ghuzar serves both.
Feather quality & conditionالريش والصحة العامةShowing & judging: Feather smoothness, tightness and sheen plus cleanliness, weight and vitality on show day. A well-built bird in broken feather or moult loses many points.
Feathered legs (muffs)الشرابAnatomy & body: Feathering on the legs and toes. Some breeds require long, even leg feathering; others must be clean-legged.
Flying pigeons (high-flyers)الحمام الطيّارRacing & flying: Breeds kept for the pleasure of group flight, altitude and tumbling (highflyers, tumblers) rather than racing or showing. Judged by flight duration and height, flown from…

G

Ghuzar (Egyptian fancy pigeons)الغُزارGeneral: The collective name for Egypt's native fancy pigeon breeds kept for form and purity (Keshk, Safi, Ablaq, Masood…) and judged by Egyptian standards. The platform is named…
Gritالغريت (الحصى المعدني)Loft & equipment: A mix of small stones, crushed shell and minerals in a separate dish. Stones help the gizzard grind grain; shell supplies calcium for eggshells and bones — a common cause…

H

HomingالعودةRacing & flying: The pigeon's innate ability to return home from far away using the sun, magnetic field and landmarks. Progressive training over increasing distances turns instinct into r…

I

Inbreeding / line-breedingالتزاوج الداخليGenetics: Mating relatives to fix a desired trait. Useful in moderation with pedigree records, but repeated without new blood it surfaces recessive faults and weakens fertility and…
Incubation (brooding)الحضنBreeding: Both parents sit the eggs in turns (hen at night and most of the day, cock at midday) for about 17–18 days. Candling after 5–7 days shows which eggs are fertile.

J

JudgeالحَكَمShowing & judging: An accredited fancier who scores birds at shows and in evaluation requests. Each Ghuzar breed has a judging committee, and a bird's grade combines several judges' scores.
Judging criteriaمعايير التقييمShowing & judging: The list of points a bird is judged on and each point's weight out of 100. Every Ghuzar breed publishes its own criteria and weights; judges score each point.

K

Kantara (frontal profile)القنطرةAnatomy & body: The curve of the forehead from the base of the beak to the top of the skull — the single most examined feature of an Egyptian Ghuzar's face. A full, high, unbroken curve…
KeshkالكشكColours & markings: One of the main Egyptian Ghuzar families, known for a short full face, with colour-named varieties (red keshk, azazi keshk, hungary keshk…). Here 'keshk' names the breed,…

L

Leg ring (band)الحلقة (الخاتم)Loft & equipment: A closed metal or plastic band fitted in the squab's first week carrying a unique number and year. The ring number is the bird's official identity in Ghuzar and cannot be…
Liberation (release)الإطلاقRacing & flying: The moment the baskets open at the race point. Time and place are recorded because speed is calculated from them, and all entrants must be released from the same point.
Line / strainالخطGenetics: A family of birds from a common origin bred by one fancier for generations with consistent traits. Racing strains (Janssen, Van Loon…) are breeders' names; Egyptians say…
LoftاللوفتLoft & equipment: The pigeon house — a room, tower or rooftop cote. A good loft is dry, ventilated, shaded, protected from cats and rats, with enough nest boxes and space for bathing and f…

M

Masood (dark-headed)المسودColours & markings: An Egyptian pattern defined by a dark head or neck on a lighter body; its sub-names (balaha, tiltein, khanafis, fallahi) describe how much colour and where.
Mizarzar (splashed)المزرزرColours & markings: A splashed bird — irregular coloured patches on a light body — named by colour in Egyptian usage (green, yellow, sheesh).
MoultالقلشHealth: The yearly feather replacement (mostly late summer–autumn), shedding wing and tail feathers gradually. A stressful period needing higher-protein feeding and rest from rac…

N

Neck frill / ruffالطوقAnatomy & body: Raised or curled feathers on the neck or chest forming a collar — a defining feature of Jacobins and Turbits, where its absence or unevenness is a fault.
Nest boxالعُشّLoft & equipment: A compartment inside the loft for each pair to lay and rear in. Two boxes per pair are ideal (the hen lays again while squabs are still in the first) and easy cleaning ma…

O

Ownership transferنقل الملكيةGeneral: A formal Ghuzar procedure moving a bird from one keeper's account to another after a sale or gift, keeping its history, pedigree and certificates. Requested by the owner,…

P

PairالزوجBreeding: A mated cock and hen. Pigeons pair with one partner for a season or longer; planned breeding starts with choosing the right pair for pedigree, health and traits.
Paramyxovirus (PMV-1)النيوكاسل (الباراميكسو)Health: A serious virus causing twisted neck, loss of balance, watery droppings and death. There is no cure; the only protection is yearly vaccination, mandatory in most Egyptian…
Pattern / markingsالنقشColours & markings: How colour is distributed on the body, as opposed to the colour itself: pied, dark-headed, magpie, moorhead… Egyptian fanciers often name varieties by pattern, and judges…
PedigreeالنسبGenetics: The record of a bird's parents and ancestors over generations. In Ghuzar the family tree is built automatically from the parents linked at registration and shown on the b…
Pigeon poxالجدريHealth: A mosquito-borne virus causing warty lesions on beak, eyelids and feet (sometimes inside the mouth). Peaks in summer; prevented by vaccination and mosquito control in the…
Purity (type)الأصالةShowing & judging: How closely a bird matches its breed standard in form, colour and stance. In Ghuzar purity is confirmed by an accredited breed-committee evaluation that issues a graded c…

Q

Quarantineالحجر الصحيHealth: Isolating any new or sick bird in a separate cage for 2–3 weeks before it joins the loft, watching appetite, droppings and breathing. The cheapest and most effective way…

R

Racing homerالزاجلRacing & flying: The world's best-known racing breed, able to return to its loft from hundreds of kilometres. Bred for performance (speed and homing) rather than looks, with famous strain…
Recessive traitصفة متنحيةGenetics: A trait expressed only when inherited from both parents (recessive red and some rare colours). It can hide for generations and reappear from two carriers — the source of…
Registration numberرقم التسجيلGeneral: A unique identifier Ghuzar assigns to every registered bird (alongside the ring number), used in its public page URL, certificate and QR card. It stays with the bird thro…
Respiratory infection (coryza)الرَّشح (الكوريزا)Health: A respiratory infection with nasal and eye discharge, audible breathing and poor flying. Bacterial or viral, worsened by poor ventilation and dust — the Egyptian word cov…
Rooftop cote (gheya)الغيّةLoft & equipment: The Egyptian folk name for a rooftop pigeon house, usually built of wood and wire — one of the oldest forms of pigeon keeping in Cairo and the Delta.
Rump (atsa)العتصةAnatomy & body: The area above the tail base where the back meets the tail feathers. Judged together with the tail: a full, slightly raised rump with tight, closed tail feathers indicate…

S

Safi (self/clean)الصافيColours & markings: A bird of one clean, unmarked colour. Many Egyptian varieties carry the name with a colour qualifier, each with its own colour standard.
Salmonellosis (paratyphoid)السالمونيلا (التيفود)Health: A bacterial infection causing green diarrhoea, swollen wing and leg joints, dead-in-shell and squab deaths. Spread through droppings and water; needs veterinary-guided an…
Sex-linked traitصفة مرتبطة بالجنسGenetics: A trait carried on the sex chromosome (base colour and dilution, for example). Because hens get one copy from the cock, certain matings let you sex squabs by colour.
Show (exhibition)المعرضShowing & judging: A gathering where birds are exhibited, judged and ranked by class, often with prizes. In Egypt shows are seasonal (mostly winter) and are listed on Ghuzar's exhibitions p…
SquabالزغلولBreeding: A young pigeon from hatching until fully feathered and flying. It is fed crop milk by both parents at first and is ringed at about seven days old.
Stance (station)الوقفةShowing & judging: How the bird carries itself: body angle, chest lift, tail set and leg steadiness. Every breed has a required stance and judges score it as its own criterion with overall…
Sukkari (sugar-dust)السكريColours & markings: An Egyptian pattern looking like the bird was dusted with sugar — fine white flecks on a coloured ground; sub-names describe how dense the flecking is.

T

Training tossesالتدريب (التوس)Racing & flying: Taking birds a set distance and releasing them to fly home, increasing the distance step by step before the season. Regular tosses build fitness and confidence in orienta…
Trap (loft entrance)الفخ (المدخل)Loft & equipment: An entrance that lets birds in but not out, essential for racing so arrival is clocked. Common types are bob wires and the sputnik cage.
Tumbler / rollerالشقلابRacing & flying: Flying pigeons that somersault backwards in flight — an inherited trait in Syrian, Russian and Uzbek tumblers. Clean, fast rolls without dropping are wanted.

V

VaccinationالتحصينHealth: Giving a vaccine that protects against a specific disease (paramyxo/Newcastle, pox, salmonella). The basic Egyptian programme starts with young birds and repeats yearly b…
Velocity (m/min)السرعة (متر/دقيقة)Racing & flying: The race ranking measure: distance from release point to loft in metres divided by flight time in minutes. A bird returning to a farther loft can win without arriving fir…

W

Wattle (nose cere)الزوائد الأنفيةAnatomy & body: The powdery white skin over the nostrils at the beak base. It grows with age; in Carriers and Dragoons a large, shaped wattle is bred for, while most Egyptian breeds want…
WeaningالفطامBreeding: Separating the young from the parents once it eats and drinks on its own (28–35 days). Weaning too early or too late affects growth and the parents' next cycle.
Wing butts (abshad)الأبشادAnatomy & body: The wing joints at the shoulder. Egyptian standards want them prominent, level and visible from the front, giving the chest its width; sunken or uneven butts are a known…
Worms (endoparasites)الديدانHealth: Intestinal parasites (roundworms, hairworms) causing weight loss and dull feathers despite good feeding. Diagnosed by droppings test; routine worming before breeding and…

Y

Yellow (recessive red dilute)الأصفرColours & markings: A pale golden colour produced by dilution of red. 'Paper yellow' is a prized clean shade in some Egyptian breeds; dilution itself is a sex-linked recessive trait.