Ice Pigeon (Eistaube): Varieties, Standard and Care

The Ice pigeon (German Eistaube, Polish Lazurek) is one of the oldest German colour pigeons. It is a sturdy, low-standing bird with a very pale ice-blue ground colour, made lighter still by a heavy coat of feather powder. There are six wing patterns, and every pattern comes clean-legged or muffed (with feathered feet). Like all domestic pigeons, it descends from the rock pigeon.

Muffed Ice pigeon with heavily feathered feet and pale ice-blue plumage standing on wood shavings

Ice pigeon quick facts

	Ice pigeon
Other names	Eistaube (German), Lazurek (Polish, from lazur, azure). The clean-legged checkered form is called the Forellentaube or Forellen Ice.
Breed group	German colour pigeon (Farbentaube)
Origin	Germany: Saxony, Silesia, Lusatia and southern Germany
Build	Strong, low-standing field-pigeon shape with a broad chest and a smooth (never crested) head
Ground colour	Very pale ice blue with a lot of feather powder; dark flights and a black tail bar
Wing patterns	Barless, white-barred, white-spangled, porcelain, black-barred, checkered
Feet	Clean-legged or muffed in every pattern
Eye colour	Yellow to orange-red in black-barred and checkered birds; dark in the other four patterns
Ring size	7 for clean-legged birds, 11 for muffed birds
Main caution	The heavy feather dust can be a problem for people with allergies or breathing problems

What makes an Ice pigeon look icy?

The ground colour is a very soft, light blue. What makes it look almost white in bright light is powder: Ice pigeons carry a lot of the fine feather dust that all pigeons produce, and it coats the plumage. The German standard notes that the powder makes the ground colour appear white, while the undercolour beneath is greyish.

Against that pale body, the flights (the long wing feathers) and the tail bar should be as dark as possible, with a light edge left visible behind the tail bar. The neck should show no bronze or green sheen, which judges count as a fault. For how blue and its patterns are inherited, see our guide to pigeon colours and genetics.

Close-up of an Ice pigeon's head showing the smooth, plain head, slender dark beak and dark eye

The six Ice pigeon varieties

Ice pigeons are shown in six wing patterns. The German names are still widely used, so they are given here too. Note that “hohlig”, sometimes translated literally as “hollow”, simply means barless.

Variety	German name	Wing shield	Eye colour
Barless	hohlig	No markings at all	Dark
White-barred	weißbindig	Two narrow white bars, edged black on the rear side	Dark
White-spangled	weißgeschuppt	White triangular spangles edged in black, alternating with the ground colour	Dark
Porcelain	porzellanfarbig	Like the spangled pattern but with a soft pink tone; white spots on the flights and tail bar	Dark
Black-barred	schwarzbindig	Two narrow, even black bars	Yellow to orange-red
Checkered (Forellen when clean-legged)	gehämmert	Black triangular checkers in rows; the US standard asks for about 5 parts black to 3 parts light	Yellow to orange-red

Sources: VDT breed summary; German Wikipedia (from the BDRG standard); Southern California Color Pigeon Club standard.

Eye colour follows the pattern: the black-barred and checkered birds have yellow to orange-red eyes, and the barless, white-barred, white-spangled and porcelain birds have dark eyes. In all of them the eye cere is narrow and dark grey.

Clean-legged Ice pigeon with a spangled wing pattern standing in a wire pen

Origin and history

The Ice pigeon is counted among the oldest German colour pigeons, but nobody has recorded when or by whom it was first bred. The German breeders’ association VDT says the dark-eyed varieties come from Saxony and the red-eyed ones from Silesia and Lusatia, and that the clean-legged checkered bird, the Forellentaube, is said to have arisen in both Silesia and southern Germany.

Accounts of the feet differ. The VDT says the breed was originally clean-legged only and that muffed birds were bred later. The American standard used by the Southern California Color Pigeon Club, translated from German standards, places the clean-legged birds in southern Germany and the muffed birds in Saxony, Silesia and Lusatia. Treat these regional details as breeders’ tradition rather than documented history.

The Ice pigeon has kept much of its wild ancestor’s flying style. The ornithologist Derek Goodwin recorded the German behaviour expert Jürgen Nicolai’s observation that some Ice pigeons perform the display flight (wing claps followed by a glide) just as rock pigeons do, and described a male Ice pigeon of his own that glided on almost level wings, much like a woodpigeon.

The breed standard in brief

These are the main points of the standard used in the US, which is based on the German one:

Shape: strong field-pigeon type, low on the legs, with a broad, deep chest. Clean-legged birds look slimmer because their feathering is tighter.
Head: slightly oblong and always smooth, never crested. Beak medium to long, slender and dark.
Wings: long, resting on the tail without crossing. Tail long and well closed.
Muffs: rich but not excessively long. Short or incomplete muffs are a serious fault.
Other faults: a weak body or high stance, a reddish eye cere on clean-legged birds, bronze or green sheen on the neck, a whitish back contrasting with a darker tail, three bars instead of two, and any markings on barless birds.

Judges look at body shape first, then ground colour, wing pattern, eye colour, and finally legs, feet and muffs.

Keeping and breeding Ice pigeons

Ice pigeons are kept like other domestic pigeons: a dry, well-ventilated and draught-free loft, clean water, a proper pigeon grain mix and grit. Because they shed so much powder, the loft needs cleaning more often than usual, and good ventilation keeps the dust down. Our guide to how cold is too cold for pigeons covers winter care.

They breed like any other domestic pigeon. The normal clutch is two eggs, laid about 43 to 44 hours apart, and both parents share the incubation. Give each pair a nest box and bowl with soft, clean nesting material. If you are thinking about keeping them, read our guide to pigeons as pets first.

Feather dust and your health

The powder that gives the Ice pigeon its colour is also its biggest drawback. The German standard warns that it can make keeping Ice pigeons impossible for people with breathing problems or allergies.

Breathing in particles from feathers or bird droppings can cause bird fancier’s lung, a form of hypersensitivity pneumonitis, according to North Bristol NHS Trust. If you get a cough, breathlessness or flu-like symptoms after time in the loft, see your GP and mention that you keep pigeons.

The Ice pigeon belongs to the large family of colour pigeons bred for their plumage rather than their shape or performance. Others on Pigeonpedia include the Archangel and the Modena, and our overview of types of pigeon lists many more.

Frequently asked questions

What is an Ice pigeon?

An old German breed of fancy pigeon, kept for its very pale ice-blue, powdery plumage. It is called Eistaube in German and Lazurek in Polish.

Why is it called the Ice pigeon?

Because of its colour. The light blue ground colour is covered in so much feather powder that in bright light the bird looks icy white with a faint blue tint.

What colours do Ice pigeons come in?

The ground colour is always ice blue. The varieties differ in wing pattern: barless, white-barred, white-spangled, porcelain, black-barred and checkered.

What colour are an Ice pigeon’s eyes?

Yellow to orange-red in black-barred and checkered birds, and dark in barless, white-barred, white-spangled and porcelain birds.

Are Ice pigeons clean-legged or muffed?

Both. Every pattern comes in a clean-legged form and a muffed form with feathered feet. The clean-legged checkered bird is called the Forellen.

What ring size does an Ice pigeon need?

Size 7 for clean-legged birds and size 11 for muffed birds.

Are Ice pigeons suitable for people with allergies?

Often not. They shed a lot of feather powder, and the German standard warns that this can make keeping them impossible for people with allergies or breathing problems.

Sources

We read each source on 30 October 2026. Where sources disagree, as on the breed’s origin, we say so.

Last updated 31 October 2026 · Types