We know what you’re thinking – “THAT’S a pigeon?!”

It is!

The Western Crowned Pigeon (also called the Blue Crown) has a beautiful blue lacy crest on its head and light to dark blue feathers.

But you’ll have to go to the lowland rainforests of northwestern New Guinea to spot one. And they tend to stick to the most remote areas since people do hunt them.

Sadly, they’re listed as “Vulnerable” on the International Union for Conservation’s threatened species list.

We’d toss a french fry to this little fella, but it turns out this type of pigeon prefers figs.

The colorful Pink-Necked Green pigeon can be found throughout Southeast Asia, particularly in Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Only the males have a pink neck, but both sexes have relatively colorful bodies.

Also called the “pink-headed fruit dove,” these beautiful birds live high up in the mountain forests of Sumatra, Java, and Bali.

They’re pretty shy but often spotted in pairs.

Males have a purple-pink head, but they all have some shade of greenish-black body with grey underparts, yellow undertails, orange irises, greenish bills, and pink feet.

The Frillback is a breed of “fancy pigeon.”

Fancy pigeons are all domesticated forms of the familiar rock dove breed, and pigeon fanciers cross-breed the birds to have a variety of unique shapes, sizes, colors, and behaviors.

Fancy pigeons are the kind you’ll find at shows and livestock fairs and to keep as pets.

The Frillback is obviously bred for its frills, or curls, on the wing shield feathers and comes in many different colors.

This breed of fancy pigeon originated in Asia and it took many years for breeders to develop what looks like a fur stole or hood around the neck.

The ornamental feathers consist of three parts known as the hood, mane, and chain.

One of 5 types of green pigeons, these beauties are native to Sub-Saharan Africa.

You can find them searching for figs in fruit trees (and they are also good climbers) as well as doing some ground foraging.

Also called the Plumed or Gannaway pigeon, this cool-looking bird lives in Austtralia.

They like arid and semi-arid climates and were first described in 1842.

Their erect crest makes them pretty easy to identify.

First identified in 1854, these pigeons are native to the northern Moluccas in eastern Indonesia.

The second part of their formal name – Ducula basilica – means “magnificent” or “splendid” in Latin.

These fancy pigeons were originally bred in Shiraz, Iran before being imported into Germany in the late 19th century.

By the 1960s, they were being bred around the world.

Believe it or not, they were originally bred for their meat, despite being an ornamental variety, but now they are appreciated for their plumage and the docile nature, which makes them gentle pets.

Yet another type of fancy pigeon, this one is known for its rich golden-yellow collar.

They originated in Lucerne, Switzerland, and are descended from crested pigeons (which is why you can see the remains of a crest on their heads).

The English Trumpeter is one of the most popular breeds of fancy pigeon in the U.S.

They’re known for the large muffs on their feet but the complexity of their physiology makes them difficult to breed properly, though they are known to come in many different colors.

Frankly, it looks a little uncomfortable to be them regardless of color!

Speaking of inconvenient physiology, the Brunner Pouter breed of fancy pigeon from the Czech Republic is bred to be “aristocratic” but looks a little starved for air.

But they seem proud of their shape and enjoy strutting their stuff. And they live to be 7-10 years old, so it all works somehow!

Some Danzig Highflyers are bred for show, and others as pets for flying.

Most think the breed first originated (through selective breeding, of course) in Danzig, Poland in 1807.

Now they’re popular all over Europe.

Originating in Saxony, these birds come in blue, black, red, yellow, and silver – all with white bars on their wings.

The breed is mainly raised for show or ornamental purposes, but they also make decent pets.

The Indian Fantail pigeon is a breed of fancy pigeon that originated in – you guessed it – India.

They are most commonly white with light tan spots, though breeders have tested out a few other colors.

The Indian Fantail can be distinguished from the English Fantail by the fact that it stands upright instead of having a chest higher than its head.

Ok, so it’s the same bird as the last slide except in white.

But these creatures are just so pretty that it’s worth seeing them in another color.

Found on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India and throughout the Malay Archipelago, the Solomons, and Palau, the Nicobar may be the closest living relative to the extinct dodo.

They’re large birds with beautiful green and copper hackles, a short, white tail, and metallic green plumage.

This breed is popular in Malaysia and Singapore, though they originated in the Netherlands.

Known for its wildly unique headcrest, it’s pretty hard to think of pigeons as “sky rats” when you see a breed this impressive.

Once again, the same bird of a different feather (color) is just too impressive not to show off.

And these birds strut like they’re hot stuff too- they know how good they look!

Also known as the Amsterdam Balloon Cropper, this breed comes from Holland.

And boy does this look uncomfortable!

Believe it or not, these birds can fly, despite their shape.

It belongs to a category called Pygmy Pouters, and this bird stands on tiptoes, looking like a round ball with legs.

They happen to be a very old breed – in fact, there paintings of these birds dating back to the 16th century!

This frill pigeon was originally bred in Turkey for the Ottoman Sultans in the Manisa Palace.

Today the breed has a following all around the world and there are several variations of color and size.

The Danish Suabian comes with silver, blue, ash yellow, ash red, black, red, yellow, or brown bars on the feathers and can have a plain head or a peaked crest.

Originating in Denmark, they are a show breed but also suitable as pets.

The Galatz Roller originated in Galați County, Romania.

Now they’re popular throughout Europe and especially in Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

They can be trained to do air acrobatics such as somersaults (hence the term “roller”), pirouettes, and a downward corkscrew motion.

Known for the metallic sheen on its feathers, the ornamental Archangel has unfeathered legs and orange eyes.

Their bodies can be black, white, or blue, and those color types were refined in Germany.

It’s one of the older breeds of deliberately bred pigeons.

This very old breed dates back to the 1600s, originating in South Germany and Thuringia.

It resembles the common field pigeon in many ways, but it’s far more colorful, a bit more slender, and more sturdy in form.

The Saxon Swallow’s spots and cap markings – along with their checkered wing patterns – help them stand out.

The checkered wing pattern is artificial, however, and results from owners selectively plucking feathers until they grow in without pigment.

Saxon Fairy Swallow pigeons are well known for the odd feathered feet.

We can see where the English Short-faced Tumbler got its name!

It has a large-head but short beak and neck. Its pearl-colored eyes are placed far back on the face.

It’s one of the older breeds of pigeons, first described in 1735.

Also known as the Dutch Shell Pigeon, this is one of the oldest tumbler breeds designed for exhibition.

It is mostly white with a hood of black feathers.

The Reverse-wing Pouter is certainly something to behold!

Originating in Saxony and Thuringia in the early 19th century, it’s one of the tallest breeds of pigeons, with very long legs and white feathered feet.

Named for its ice blue color, Charles Darwin himself used to breed these pigeons in order to see how genes might affect color patterns.

The feather-footed breed was first developed in South Germany.

They’re known for being calm and gentle.

A type of Helmet pigeon, its “muffs” (large foot feathers) are what makes this pigeon stand out.

The origins of this breed are still a bit of a mystery.

Also referred to as the Old German Cropper, this breed originated in Germany and Hungary and is the longest of all the pigeon types.

They come in black, white, red, yellow, cream, silver, and blue but generally have white feathers sprinkled here and there.

This fancy pigeon was originally bred in Modena, Italy centuries ago.

Now, it’s considered one of the world’s top show pigeons.

It’s known for its curvy shape, rounded chest, uplifted wings, and high, pointed tail.

“Round and proud” is the way to describe this guy!

First developed in the mid-18th century in Königsberg, East Prussia, these pigeons come in black, red, white, yellow, and blue.

They are bred for show, but can be taught to fly.

Native to northeastern Australia, the Squatter pigeon prefers semi-arid grasslands.

It’s one of the larger pigeon breeds and can be identified by its black and white facial markings and a white stripe up the side of its belly.

Also called the Wampoo fruit dove, these birds live in New Guinea and eastern Australia.

They travel in flocks to feed off fruit trees in rainforests and prefer figs to most other fruit.

Flying acrobatically, they can elegantly swoop through trees and vines to collect their food.

Raised for show and for flying, the Australian Saddleback was first recognized as a breed in 1917.

It was developed in Australia after many years of selective breeding to get its distinctive color patteren and feathered legs.

It’s named for the distinctive saddle-shaped marking on its back.

The pink pigeon (Nesoenas mayeri) is native to Mauritius and nearly became extinct in the 1990s.

There are very few left even today despite special breeding programs, though their status has been updated to “Vulnerable.”

Helmet pigeons came in short face, plain-headed, and crested varieties and references to them date back to the early 15th century in Germany.

Not surprisingly, they’re named for the “helmet” of color on top of their heads.

Phaps chalcoptera is native to southern Australia and Tasmania.

A dark olive-brown bird with a rich chestnut nape, it’s known primarily for its iridescent blue-green bars across each wing.

They feed exclusively on seeds found on the ground.