The King Pigeon, whose production form is known as the Utility King, was originally bred in the United States for the food market.
History Of The King Pigeon
Like all domestic pigeons, the King Pigeon is a descendant of the Rock Pigeon.
This particular kind of pigeon was developed in the United States by selectively cross-breeding other breeds.
This was back in the 1890s when pigeon farming was in full swing.
They were bred to produce plenty of large, meaty squabs.
Pigeons reproduce rapidly but aren’t known for their abundance of flesh.
It is the squabs that commercial pigeon breeders want, and King pigeons produce the plumpest squabs.
The four different types of pigeons which were cross-bred to create the king pigeon are:
- Duchess
- Homer
- Maltese
- Runt
It is said that the Duchess was chosen for its grace, the Homer for its alertness and intelligence, the Maltese for its compact body and style and the Runt for its physique and size.
The original Duchess birds were shipped from Europe and are believed to be Mondains (opens in new tab), a French breed.
As they were bought in either Holland or Germany, it has been suggested that the words Dutch or Deutsch were misspelled over time, and Duchess eventually became their American name.
- The Homer is quite common and probably arrived from Belgium or England as at the time, both these countries were leaders in the breeding and racing of homing pigeons.
- The Maltese has nothing to do with the island. It is thought to have been developed in Germany from older European breeds. It is unique in the fact that it has straight legs, a long slender neck and a compact cubiform body.
- The American Giant Runt was itself the result of various cross-breedings. It was bred to develop a more compact body with greater mass.
- The Dragoon, an English import and a crossbreed between Horsemen and Tumbler pigeons were also said to have a part in the cross-breeding programme to develop the King Pigeon.
There is also a further breed known as Show King which were specially bred for exhibition purposes.
King Pigeon Appearance
King pigeons are considered by many pigeon fanciers as the most beautiful of pigeon breeds which is why they also became show pigeons as well as farmed pigeons.
They are particularly revered as show birds in the USA but also garner a global appreciation.
Their appearance makes them seem large and plump, but it is really their height that sets them apart.
They are taller than the average pigeon.
One suggestion is that this is why they were named King Pigeons, in the same way that King and Emperor penguins are set apart from other penguin breeds.
They are very attractive to look at because they have compact, but well-rounded bodies.
They weigh between 20-32 ounces.
As with most pigeon breeds, it is quite hard to visually sex a pigeon, but a fairly accurate gender identification can be made by observing their behaviour and interactions.
Despite the difficulty in sexing a King Pigeon, when it comes to shows and exhibitions, females are expected to look feminine and males are expected to look noble and masculine.
Birds that do not preen to show themselves off or are unkempt easily lose points.
King Pigeon Characteristics
It is said that they are very calm birds that give the appearance of serenity.
This majestic trait may be another reason that they were named King Pigeons.
They are considered to be excellent pets.
King pigeons come in many different colours, but pure white birds are often considered the most striking.
Show Kings are poorly suited to life in the wild but can tolerate most climates and are reasonable flyers.
Summary
The King Pigeon is a selectively bred pigeon that was bred as a utility pigeon during the pigeon meat production heyday of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Now that kind of production has fallen off or has gone small scale, this beautiful breed of bird is more likely to be seen as a show pigeon or pet.
Last updated 24 October 2026 · Types