The Nun is given its name by the raised feathers which form a kind of hood which covers the back of the neck and head, resembling a
nun. Continental Europe previously referred to the Nun as the Dutch Shell Pigeon during the early part of the 20th century. It resembles the
tumbler, from which this breed of pigeon originated; They have mostly white bodies and are designated according to the color of their head, for example, a black headed Nun, or a yellow headed Nun. Only the head, tail and the
flight feathers are colored. Nuns are one breed in a group of pigeons who fly at high altitudes, along with types of tumblers and the
magpie pigeon. The British Nun Club standard for the Nun states that the ideal size for male Nuns should be from the top of the bird's head to their feet, and from the front of the chest to its tail. Female and young Nuns should be roughly the same size. The beak should be straight but stout, and the eyes a pearly white.
Charles Darwin referred to the Nun in
The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication, where he described how the Nun and
Jacobin breeds of pigeon have evolved to have less
caudal vertebrae than the rock dove, from which they originate. ==Gallery==