A tippler is a breed of domestic pigeon bred to participate in endurance competitions. Flying results of up to 22 hours (non-stop) have been reported which makes it the most outstanding endurance-flying breed in recorded existence.
Origin
All races of breeds of domestic pigeon have been evolved from the Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) that cohabits with man everywhere in the world. The domestic pigeon breeds are believed to have been developed in the East. The flying tippler sport of seeing which bird could fly the longest originated from England in 1840. It appears to have been a favourite of miners.
Types
- Gordon Hughes Tipplers: a type of Tippler bred by Gordon Hughes in Derby, England to participate in endurance competitions. These birds are referred to as Hughes Type. This type of tipplers have flown over 19 hours many times. Flying record of 18:07 in 1976 (young birds).
- Jack Boden Tipplers: a type of Tippler bred by Jack Boden in Handsword, England to participate in endurance competitions. Flying record of 20:40 in 1975 (old birds). Boden Tipplers have flown for over 20 hours many times.
- Lovatt Tipplers.
- Merredith Tipplers.
- Irish Blue Tipplers.
- Sheffield Tipplers: a type of Tippler bred in Sheffield, England to participate in endurance competitions. These birds are referred to as Sheffield Type. This type of tippler has flown over 20 hours many times. They usually come in colors red and yellow.
- Macclesfield Tipplers.
- Manchester Tipplers.
Training
Tipplers are very intelligent birds and can be trained to fly long hours and drop only when the trainer asks them to.
Records
Top 5 Old Birds
- Ireland, 22:05, Harry Shannon, Lisburn, 1995
- England, 21:21, Anslow, Tipton, 1994
- Germany, 20:35, Imer Saipi, Horstmar, 2005
- Wales, 20:32, Frohwein, Dower, 2001
- Holland, 20:31, van der Werf, Oosterbierum, 2005
Top 5 Young Birds
- Germany, 20:29, Kocholl, Mudau, 2004
- Holland, 20:01, van der Werf, Oosterbierum, 2002
- Ireland, 19:40, Shannon, Lisburn, 1993
- England, 19:34, Plester, Birmingham, 1990
- Belgium, 18:25, Ouwerkerk, Brasch, 1991
