Pigeon glossary

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

14 terms

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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.

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.
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.

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.

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.
Feathered legs (muffs)الشرابAnatomy & body: Feathering on the legs and toes. Some breeds require long, even leg feathering; others must be clean-legged.

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…

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.

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…

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…
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…