MARIOLA & FLAMENCA BREEDERS

In the photo, left to right, the 3 enthusiastic breeders of the Portuguese Mariola and the Spanish Flamenca: Bud Bergsma, Toon Heesters and Jan van Vliet. Also sat down at the kitchen table: Nico van Benten, editor of Aviculture Europe.

All information in this article are entirely by this particular trio of enthusiastic breeders; Bud Bergsma, Toon Heesters and Jan van Vliet. The editors of Aviculture Europe only sat down and listened to their remarkable story. Bud Bergsma Right: Bud Bergsma, with a red Mariola. Bud lives in Bunnik, where we are guests today, and has been keeping pigeons since he was 7 years old, but the hobby has never given him

so much fun as in recent years, when he has been working on the re-creating of the Spanish Flamenca and the Portuguese Mariola. Re-creating these breeds gives something extra, he says. Left: A pair of Mariolas, Brown and black, at Bud Bergsma’s. The blotchy brown colour is due to the effect of sunlight on this feather colour.

Apart from these varieties he also breeds Nuremberg Bagadet in Self Black, which came from his friends Toon Heesters and Klaus Paul (from Germany). In promoting these breeds he has contributed to the increased popularity of the Self Nuremberg Bagadet in the Netherlands as well as in Belgium, France and England, he is chasing a larger objective than winning a certificate of honour. He is a member of the Association Bois le Duc in Den Bosch, but rarely shows his birds. This 70-year-old enthusiast has more fun in creating and growing the fancy, his enthusiasm has infected Toon Heesters, Jan van Vliet and Erwin Haemhouts (Belgium) for the Mariola and Flamenca. Right: Flamenca, drawing by Bud Bergsma 02-01-2012. In and around the eighties, when he saw a picture of a ‘Flamenca Runt’ in Elsevier's Pigeon Guide, it has always been his dream to have such a pigeon. He bred Runts at that time, but he found them small in head - they are different nowadays. He was so keen to breed those Flamenca Runt pigeons, he tried to find them in Spain, in his search he wrote to all sorts of ‘pigeon people’, like Paco Ibanas - a pigeon dealer in Spain, Pedro Torro - a Spanish pigeon lover who lives in Nuremberg, even to the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, but the latter answered that these were probably ‘just ordinary pigeons’. So he decided to create such a pigeon, so over the last 20 years he has been trying several crossings in order to achieve his goal. Because it would be no longer a real Spanish Flamenca, he called his creation-in-the-making the Flevo Runt, because the Runt is an old Italian breed and 'Flevo Mare' was one of the first areas in the Netherlands that was named by the ancient Romans. In doing so he finally had to let go the image of the Flamenca Runt, because he did not succeed in creating the red skin adornment under the beak. Meanwhile, thanks to friends who speak good Spanish and Portuguese, much better contacts had been realized with Spanish, French and Portuguese breeders; making a simple phone call turned out to work a lot better and more productive than writing.

Toon Heesters Left: Toon Heesters with his silver barred Mariola. Toon lives in Empel, near Hertogenbosch. He is 51 years old and has had pigeons since he was 5 years old. In his native village Reuzel on your birthday you were always given an animal as a present, that was customary. Also on the animal market in Mol (Belgium) animals were sold, not necessarily pure bred. In those days, everyone had enough space around the house. At home they kept chickens and goats, but also horses, cows and pigs. It was also customary to slaughter the excess animals, as with the pigeons - a habit which has not remained with him, because he now hates to cull a bird. As time pasted he consciously began to chose the purebreds he liked. He joined a local Club, but as a boy of 13

or 14 years old, he found no connection with the mainly older men and gradually his interest in this hobby disappeared. That is not until he was 25, and then there was yet again a pigeon loft, on his balcony in the center of Den Bosch. The choice of pigeon had fallen on Oriental Rollers. Coincidentally one day he walked into a Pigeon Show, there he found these mainly extreme pigeon breeds that he was greatly attracted to, and when he moved from his apartment to a house with a garden, he started with Nuremberg Bagadets. But after hea-ring so much prejudice and commentary about the ‘artificial’ breeding of these birds, he stopped keeping them. Later it turned out that it really was not as extreme as it was said. In 1996 he started to keep the Dewlap of Basra, purchased in Belgium. He later had this breed recognized in the Netherlands. Still he was highly intrigued by the Nurem-bergers; in those years, he visited all the Dutch breeders of this breed, and also the breeders in Germany.

Right: A Mariola at Toon Heesters’ in Empel (NL). Having started back with the breed he decided to create the Self Nuremberg Bagadet, which were recognized in the Pigeon Standard, but did not exist. It took him at least seven years of dedication, on his own and because of the Nuremberg he came in contact with Bud and Jan, who also liked this new brilliant colour variation of the breed. But though he was proud of his achievement, he still had a growing feeling that breeding the Nuremberg Bagadet, he was always fighting against the limits of what is possible, and he stopped. The birds went to Jan and Bud, also some to Germany, and he started again with Dewlaps, this time the Beirut Dewlap – where we may devote some attention to another issue. Through Bud he accepted the challenge to help re-create the Flamenca; dewlap, wattle and large sized - so all extremities appealing to him are united in the Flamenca pigeon. He breeds Mariola's too. He shows his pigeons at Bois le Duc and the Fancy Pigeon Show South Netherlands.

Above, left: Mariola, silver dark barred. Above, right: Mariola, black.

Both Mariolas are photographed at Toon Heesters’ in Empel (NL).

Jan van Vliet Right: Jan van Vliet, holding a black Mariola, with the wanted dewlap. Below a close-up of the bird, showing the dewlap in detail.

Jan lives in Aalsmeer. He too began as a young boy with pigeons, homing pigeons that is, like his brother Cees. But over time, football became his greatest passion, and those two things do not go together. Now Jan is 44 and has been a few years back into the hobby, with fancy pigeons this time, he really knew nothing about them. At the premises of the Welding Company of the Van Vliet family at Schiphol-Rijk there is enough space for his hobby. Apart from the pigeons he now also keeps Hookbill ducks and chickens. He started with Show Homers, which were offered for sale on the Internet.

Below, right: A blue silver dark barred Mariola at Jan van Vliet’s. This pigeon has a splendid underbeak wattle. When he went to fetch them, he also brought some pigeons for Peter Brouwer in Amsterdam. As he said he had only just started keeping pigeons and was looking for breeds as large as possible, Peter brought him into contact with Bud. So he started with Runts, Carriers and Nuremberg Bagadets. One day, when he and Bud returned from the pigeon market in Straubing, Germany and Bud once more brought up the Flamenca, he promised him that he would find Flamencas for him. One of his friends speaks Spanish and Portuguese, and he was called in to contact Spanish and Portuguese fanciers by telephone - The friend is not a pigeon fancier but found that 'assignment' great fun. Telephone numbers of more and more fanciers piled

up, however, they were mostly told that the Flamenca had become extinct, or they were offered Flamencas that were much too small - or even turned out to be Mariolas. They also went to France, where they purchased the first Mariolas that were used as a module for breeding back the Flamenca. Jan is a member of the association A.K.P.V. Aalsmeer and also shows his pigeons. At the Champion Show 2012 in Nieuwegein he won Best Self Nuremberg Bagadet.

Foreign contacts Left: A red Flamenca. This pigeon belongs to Jordi Costa (ESP), president of the Spanish Flamenca Specialty Club.

Right:

Two promising Young yellow Flamencas, by Jordi Costa (ESP), 01-02-2012.

Left: A pair of blue black barred Mariolas, at Erwin Haemhouts’ (B).

Right: A pair of Mariolas at Erwin Haemhouts’ (B).

In the front, a blue black barred cock. In the back an ash red checkered hen.

Left: A Mariola at Manuel Fenha’s – a Portuguese fancier living in France. The three cannot stop talking about the various French and Portuguese breeders that they have visited, the pleasure that this joint search for the Flamenca and Mariola brings them, the visits to the Frenchman Michel Saint Martin in Farrosse (F), who gave them his last Mariolas and Flamen-cas, and the Portuguese Manuel Fenha, residing in Romilly sur Seine (F) who presented them with his last Mariolas, the e-mail and telephone contacts with Jordi Costa, the President of the Spanish Flamenca Club and now with Tomeo Fons, a fancier at the Balearic Islands, breeding Flamencas that look like Mariolas. Meanwhile 12 Mariolas came from Portugal to the Netherlands,

also through Tonnie van den Broek, who they got to know through the Internet.

Right: A red pied Flamenca by Tomeo Fons, Balearic Islands (ESP).

Tonnie was looking for some pigeons for his Portuguese friend and Bud, Jan and Toon arranged that for him. 6 months of the year Tonnie lives in Portugal and as a favour in return he started inquiring for Mariola fanciers at the many Agricultural fairs and Shows. The birds that came to Holland are good Mariolas, although some Black ones have pearl eyes, which is not correct according to the standard. It is clear that both breeds (Flamenca and Mariola) are closely related – which is confirmed in various old written articles. The Mariola is classed as a Utility pigeon and the Flamenca as a Wattle pigeon.

Left: A blue black chequered Flamenca by Tomeo Fons, Balearic Islands (ESP). The type is the same, but the Flamenca is larger and has a 3 cm wide red eye cere and the dewlap of the Flamenca is bald, warty and preferably red. Also the Flamenca has a larger beak. In its original state the breed has now completely disappeared, but fortunately there are both in Spain and in the Netherlands fanciers who are trying to re-create the Flamenca. Meanwhile they exhibit the Mariola, who since 2012 has been recognized in the Netherlands and included in the Fancy pigeons Standard. The Flamenca is not ready yet. They have a good contact with Hans Schipper of the NBS standard committee.

Right: A blue black barred Flamenca. This bird belongs to Jordi Costa (ESP), president of the

Spanish Flamenca Specialty Club.

This specific stance, slightly bent forward, is often seen at the Flamenca and the Mariola.

Below: A warm welcome for the two editors of Aviculture Europe at the home of Bud Bergsma, who had done his utmost to make all of us feel at ease. There was even a party tent set up in the garden created to photograph the birds, because on November 1st it was really autumn weather.

The Dutch standard of the Mariola was drawn up in accordance to the Spanish and French standard, in which countries the Mariola has already been recognized for some time. A special club for the breed they do not need at the moment, for now it is easier and much nicer to once per year come together as friends, as one can then discuss how the standard should be compared with the birds and vice versa. Unfortunately "weight and measurements" are no longer allowed in the Dutch standard - that is a rule of the EE. The danger is that everyone will choose the largest

pigeon. To avoid this, the details in the standard description must be carefully chosen. Example: The Mariola has a smaller beak than the Flamenca, but they want as much as possible back to the old type, and the farmers in the Portuguese countryside where these pigeons were kept, are not likely to have used foster pigeons. So now the standard states: Beak 'fairly short' and not 'too short'. Pigeons should be able to rear its own youngsters, says Bud. Below, left and right: Beautiful Mariola heads, with the characteristic dewlap and eye ceres. The beak is long enough to rear their own young.

The history of the Flamenca

Introduction As with many old pigeon breeds the origin of this unique breed cannot exactly be traced. By means of looking for facts and opinions and by making comparisons with other breeds, it is possible to unveil at least something of the origin. Unfortunately it is a fact that this breed is now virtually extinct. A small group of breeders in the Netherlands started to breed it back from several related breeds. The goal is to unite the unique features in a vital bird, with the ability to rear its own young. Left: Bud Bergsma with one of the many ‘intermediates’. Each of these pigeons has one or more features needed for the final goal.

The Origin of the Flamenca is in North Africa Old written articles mention the Flamenca to be descended from the same ancestors as the Carrier and the Bagadet. Under the collective name Barbary pigeon, these animals found their way through North Africa to the Iberian Peninsula, probably between the 8th and the l2th century, during the occupation of a large part of Spain by the Moors (Arabs). This also makes the relationship with Barb plausible. It is generally assumed that ‘Barb’ was the abbreviation of Barberian pigeon. On the other hand it is also believed that the name Barb just means ‘beard’ and relates to the large under wart of the Barbs. And that in turn would indicate a connection with the Flamenca, that has a long beard-like under wart, as well as with the Mariola, whose dewlap in Portuguese is called ‘barbela’. It is therefore not likely to draw any other conclusion than that the ‘Barbary pigeon’ is a collective name for various wart pigeons that came from the Middle East through North Africa to Europe. The same conclusion can be drawn about the name ‘Turkish pigeon’, which is a collective name for all large wart pigeons that came to Europe via other routes and whose descendants still live under the names Nuremberg Bagadet, Scandaroon, Carrier, Arabian Carrier, French Bagadet and probably also the de crooked beak of the Egyptian Moraslat, who resembles the Nuremberg Bagadet a great deal. Right: Front view, showing the broad head and the parallel eye ceres. When looked at from above, the skull of the Flamenca should resemble a fairly long cotton spool. Also a good view of the upper and under wattles.

Left: Another head study, the beak wattles joining the head in an unbroken curve, as desired in the Flamenca Standard. Under man-dible wattle and dewlap are present and even the eye ceres begin to colour red. Spanish description Indeed, according to the Spanish "Anales de historia natural" from 1799 there is such a close relatedness between these large wattle pigeons, that the name in different languages varies from Flamenca to Bagadet. According to this ancient book, the name of the “Paloma Flamenca” was:

• in Castillian: Paloma Flamenca • in Valencian: Petér d’Ull (Petér means giant and Ull means eye) • in Latin: Columba Turcica (Turkish pigeon) • in French: Pigeon Turc (Turkish pigeon) of Pigeon Bagadais (Bagadet pigeon). According to this book, the Flamenca, the Turkish dove, the Bagadet and wattled Runt (also called Giant Barb) originally were all one and the same pigeon. Or at least in appearance they looked so much alike, that they mixed up the different breeds. There is also an English engraving of a Columba Livia, Variation Turcica (Turkish pigeon) from 1843, made by Edward Lear. This picture shows nothing but a low legged Carrier with all further features of the present Carrier, including warty eye ceres and a long beak with big wattles. In Catalonia, the Flamenca was bred as a utility pigeon and later as an exhibition pigeon, under the name Colom d'Ull (pigeon of the eye) or Flamenc. It is a fact that all the above breeds mentioned in different languages were related wattle pigeons. Selecting Through centuries of selection and crossings large numbers of different types of birds arose, which in appearance and size were greatly different from the original rock pigeon (Columba livia). There was bred and selected for colour, drawing, tail and wing carriage, type and extremities. Examples of these are: long legs / short legs, muffed /clean-legged, long neck / short, thick necks, short beaks / blunt beaks / long beaks / curved beaks / straight beaks, round heads / flat heads, dewlaps / clean cut throats / inflated crops/ under mandible wattles/ upper mandible wattles/throat wattles, eye colour and ceres, peak crests / large crests, frills, length, weight, chest width, larger size and miniature. For example, the Portuguese Mariola, which almost certainly has the same origin as the Spanish Flamenca and thus is looking very much alike, became smaller. The red eye ceres disappeared and instead of the long throat wattle, the Mariola obtained a remarkably large dewlap. Right: As already noted, in the run-up to the goal many different breeds played a role. For each breed was deliberately chosen, in which the input of a certain feature was envisioned.

Left: One of the aims was creating a larger sized bird. Therefore, the Runt was use. An added bonus was that this crossing yielded a Runt-type bird with quite large wattles, which became very popular in France. But for years Bud had another goal: he wanted to create a cropper on the basis of this intermediate. Below: Another step closer to the Flamenca. According to the state-ment: “Build first, paint later”.

In addition, also a dwarf type of Mariola came into being, namely the Mariolinha. Another example is the Ojo de Fresa (=Strawberry eye), which is smaller than the original Rock Dove Columba Livia, while for instance the Runt and the Flamenca became much bigger. The Giant Pigeons According to the famous Spanish pigeon expert from the last century, Raphael Buch Brage, the Flamenca was created from crosses of large Barbs with Runts. Apart from the Barbary wattle pigeons, also the Runts, the giant pigeons with their red ceres played an important part in the development of the Flamenca Runt. The giant pigeons are nowadays mostly bred for their appearance, but they were originally kept as utility pigeon. The birds being self-sufficient was important. Thus it is illogical to assume that poor farmers kept utility pigeons that had to be reared in a separate loft with foster pigeons. That would mean extra costs and attention, a luxury that they often could not afford. That is also the reason that real utility pigeon always rear their own young, and so do the Flamenca. These giant pigeons have an ancient history too and are also mentioned in 1799 in the "Anales de historia natural", together with their names in four languages, same as was mentioned for the Flamenca. And again from these names again show the large relation of these - now different - breeds: • in Castillian: Paloma comun grande (common large pigeon)

• in Valencian: Petér (Giant, without the addition d’Ull as at the Flamenca) • in Latin: Columba Hispanica (Spanish pigeon) • in French: Pigeon Espagnol (also Spanish pigeon)

Variety in Type From the - through North Africa imported into Spain - wattle pigeons which we now-a-days collectively refer to as "Barbary Pigeons ', arose many variaties, each of which had its own variety name. In earlier years the breeders often lived remote and far apart, while in those days the connections, including the mutual contacts were much more cumbersome, so, failing mutual consultation, the one pigeon type was bred with minor and larger transformations of appearance but also different colour variaties arose over the years. Some examples are: Dutch English French Spanish Catalan German Valkenet (Spanish)

Barb Pigeon Polonais

Flamenquilla Spanische Indianer

Aardbeien oog

Strawberry eye

L’oeil de fraise

Ojo de fresa Uil de maduixa

Erdbeerenauge

Mariola (Portugese)

Portuguese Mariola

Mariola Mariola Mariola Mariola

Flamenca Spanish Flamenca runt

Flamenca Flamenca Colom d’Úll Spanische Flamenca

A good example of this diversity is seen in the Spanish Cropper breeds with rounded head and more or less wattle and dewlap. An old Spanish fancier indicated that the distance that fanciers lived apart determined their own ideal image based on personal preference and selected until the desired specific appearance was created. When the time came that these - in origin closely related - croppers were exhibited at National Shows, the different types were usually given the name of the city or region where they came from. Here are some examples: Valencia Valencia Cropper Marchena – Sevilla Marchenero Cropper Granada Granadino Cropper Moron de la Frontera Moroncelo Cropper Mallorca Mallorca Cropper Jaén Jiennense Cropper Balearic Islands Balear Cropper Colilla Colillano Cropper Murcia Murciano Cropper Sevilla Laudino Sevillano Cropper Alicante Morillero Alicanto Cropper Cadiz Gaditano Cropper Ancient Breed From this list of years, we learn that the Flamenca as a breed or type has long been known and therefore comes under the ‘ancient’ varieties. Here an overview:

711 According to the Pedro Toro, a Spanish fancier living in Germany, from this date the Flamenca is mentioned in old Spanish written text

1076 Rochas Cemente from Valencia states the Flamenca as a large pigeon 1686 Johan van Vollenhove from the Netherlands mentiones the Flamenca 1799 Joseph Cavanilles, states the Flamenca being as large as a chicken with large wattles

and red eye ceres 1799 In the Spanish book “Anales de historia natural” the name of the Flamenca is given in

different languages as follows: • Castillian: Paloma Flamenca • Valencian: Petér d’Ull (Giant with the Eye) • Latin: Columba Turcica (Turkish Pigeon!) • French: Pigeon Turc or Pigeon Bagadais In those days, Bagadets, Turkish Pigeons and Flamencas were noted as one breed! 1833 The Englishman Edward Lear makes an engraving image of the Columba Livia turcica.

This image is clearly a low set Carrier and shows again great resemblance to old pictures of the Dragoon.

Recent History The fact is that the Flamenca was once a utility pigeon in ancient Spain. So definitely not a show or status pigeon that needed foster parents. Some centuries later, when the wealthy and rich people kept pigeons as a social status, this breed was completely bred down and finally degenerated into a weak fashion pigeon. It was too long selected on extreme traits, such as volume, size of wattle & eye ceres and extremely short beak. These extremities were set by means of extensive inbreeding, causing the genetic basis for healthy vital pigeons to completely disappear. The consequence was that the common man dropped out for financial reasons. By using foster pigeons the elite kept continually breeding these pigeons of even more extremities until physically and genetically little remained of the breed and they often ran into a dead end. The Portuguese Mariola went the same disastrous path and is now almost extinct. In the first half of the last century it was the famous pigeon breeders Rafael Buch Brage from Madrid and later José Antonin Cuatrecasas from Barcelona who wrote about these breeds.

The knowledge of these breeders was again passed on in the book of the American writer Wendell M. Levi and the German writers Joachim Schütte and Erich Müller. Left: In the 90s of the last century José Anthonin Cuatrecasas (Argentona, ESP) had several pairs of Flamenca pigeons, including this khaki barred cock. Between 1980 and 2005, occasionally a few Flamencas, bred back from e.g. Mariolas, have been exhibited at major shows in Spain, France and some European shows. Particularly by the Frenchman Michel St.Martin, the Spaniard Pedro Toro, living in Germany, as well as some breeders of the Balearic Islands. These pigeons were often too small or had no red eye ceres, and instead of a long throat wattle they had just a round red wart under the beak or a sparsely feathered dew-lap. By their smaller size and feathered dewlap, these pigeons looked more like the Mariolas where they were bred from. Personal assertiveness of the breeders, who

threw themselves up as an expert and were not interested in collaboration with other fanciers, together with chauvinism and rivalry, suggesting that the breed originally had been created in their region and habitat, lead to fragmentation and ultimately to the downfall of this breed. Reconstruction of the Flamenca in the Netherlands Although until a few years ago sporadically a few, mostly too small Flamencas or Flamenca-like pigeons have been exhibited, this unique breed in its original state has now entirely disappeared. Fortunately, in Spain, especially in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, and in the Netherlands, a few fanciers today have shown a great interest in the Flamanca’s breeding. The aim is to re-create a healthy and vital strain of Flamencas from the various related breeds, which in one way or another possess the features of the Flamenca. In the Netherlands the following breeds were uses to re-create the Flamenca: • Mariola: for type, stance, head form, head width, dewlap, eye colour, low stance, short

legs and waddling • Runt: for size and length • Valkenet (Dutch Barb): for red eye ceres, wattles, broad head and low stance • Indianer (German Barb): for red eye ceres, wattles, broad head and volume • Granadino: for head form and head width, but mainly for under mandible wattles and

warty eye ceres.

According to the last known breeders who exhibited a few Flamenca Runts between 1985 and 2004, the most logical way to re-create the Flamenca Runt is as follows:

1. Mariola x Valkenet/Indianer 2. Runt x Mariola 3. Mariola x Granadino.

The F1 and later the F2 have to be bred back to the Mariola and selected for type, size, wattles, eye ceres and the under mandible wattle with the dewlap-like throat wattle. Then you start interbreeding the best results from these 3 lines and strictly select all features required in the Flamenca, as indicated in the standard.

Left: A blue dark chequered Mariola hen. Note the perfect dewlap.

Right: A red Mariola hen. Correct head, beak and eye ceres. The dewlap, partly unfeathered, is clearly visible. Type is ideal. A small minus point is the wings not fully covering the back, showing the lighter plumage colour of rump and tail. But that is actually the consequence if you require such heavy pigeons.

Left: Here we see some detailed quality. This is really starting to resemble a Flamenca. We only have to finalize the colours. Although the breeders don’t care about colour at the moment.

Provisional Standard of the Flamenca Photo: Tony Vidal, Barcelona (ESP). General information: Class: Wattle pigeons. Also known as: Colom d’Ull o Flamenc / Paloma Flamenca / Spanish Flamenca Runt. Origin: Iberian Peninsula, in particular Catalonia. From ancient literature we learn that the Flamenca is a very old Spanish and Catalan breed that originated from the Barbary pigeons introduced by the Moors, which were crossed with the Runts. Both Andalusia and Catalonia claim the region of origin. In the 19th century the breed was very popular in Catalonia under the name of Colom d'Ull. General Characteristics: Strong, proud, with wide chest and relatively short legs. Broad, rounded head with broad, deep red eye ceres and broad, large white upperbeak wattle. The typical reddish under mandible wattle is soft and flabby, going down from the under mandible along the throat; a characteristic of the Flamenca. Size: Large, measuring 40 to 45 cm from the tip of the beak to the end of the tail. Weight: at average 800 grams for the cocks and 700 grams for the hens. Breed characteristics: Type: Strong, broad and compact. Stance: Fairly upright, without allowing the tail to sweep the ground. Head: Large and wide, width between the eyes being equal in measurement at the front

and back of the ceres. In profile a well rounded outline from back of the head to tip of the beak, not tapering when reaching the base of the neck.

Eyes: Orange-red iris, except in White and Pied, which should be Dark Brown and light eyes in Brown and Khaki.

Ceres: Deep red. Broad, round and uniform, circularly enclosing the eye. In 2 years of age wattle and cere should have ‘filled in the face’. Left: A young Flamenca hen with almost perfect ceres and mandible fitting. Beak: Short, thick, with broad wattles, joining the head in an unbroken curve. Light colour in all colour varieties. Wattles: White, extending equally on each side of the upper mandible and very warty in older birds. Under mandible: Red, starting from the under mandible and going down for about 4 cm. along the throat as a soft, warty, dewlap-like wattle, without feathering. The Flamenca is only full-grown after four years, especially the throat wattle.

Neck: Medium long, thick, powerful rising from the shoulders. Chest: Wide and low, slightly projecting to the front and rounded with the body

outline. Back: Broad; slightly sloping from shoulders towards the rump in one parallel line

with the tail. Flights: Strong and long, close to the body and reaching the end of the tail. Tail: Long and wide, with 12 tail feathers. Not longer than the flights and not

reaching the ground. Legs: Strong, somewhat bended and clean-legged. Short, making the bird a bit

wobbly when walking. Ring size 10 mm. Toes well spread. Plumage: Smooth and tight feathered. Chest and in particular the so-called ring

beard in the neck are less tight feathered. Colours: All colours recognised, as long as intense and shiny. Character: Amicable, although the cocks are very temperamental. Objectionable Features: • Short and/or too cobby. • Under size. • Narrow or long head. • Long, thin beak. • Narrow chest. • Too short, too long or straight beak. • Minor wattles and pale eye ceres. • Missing lower wattle section. • Long thin neck. • Long legs. • Droopy wings or crossed wings. • Back not covered. • Short wings and tail. • Tail dragged on the ground. Right: Flamenca, painting by the German artist Werner Nordmann. Division of Points: General impression, type and stance 30 points Rounded headline and beak 15 points Under mandible and wattle 20 points Eye colour and eye ceres 10 points Width and lenght 10 points Wings and tail 10 points Legs and toes 5 points Total : 100 points

Standard of the Mariola Standard drawing: Jean-Louis Frindell. Left cock, right hen. Country of Origin: Portugal General Characteristics: Medium size, broad and strong. Relatively short legs. Almost horizontal stance. Rounded head. Large dewlap.

Breed characteristics: Head: Large and wide, width between the eyes being equal in measurement at the front

and back of the ceres. In profile a well rounded outline from back of the head to tip of the beak, not tapering when reaching the base of the neck.

Eyes: Orange-red iris. except in White and Pied, which should be Dark Brown and light eyes in Brown and Khaki.

Ceres: Large, round, symmetric, double, free from heavy folds of flesh, spread in a perfect circle around the eye. In young birds pinkish, in older birds paler.

Beak: Rather short, thick and massive, joining the head in an unbroken curve. Light to horn colour, in Black and Blue a dark beak is permitted. When getting older the under mandible grows 3 wattles: one in de middle and 2 smaller ones on each side of the gape.

Wattle: White and fairly smooth, extending equally on each side of the upper mandible. Older birds, especially cocks, have larger wattles.

Neck: Medium long, thick, powerful rising from the shoulders. Throat: Fairly large, feathered dewlap, starting from the under mandible, fully developed

in 3 years. Chest: Wide and low, slightly projecting

to the front and rounded with the body outline.

Back: Broad, slightly sloping. Wings: Strong and long. Tail: Long, broad. Legs: Strong, short, fairly wide apart. Plumage: Smooth and tight. Colours:

- Self: White, Black, Red, Yellow, Dun and Khaki.

- Barred: Blue, Silver, Ash Red, Ash Yellow, and Brown barred.

- Chequer: Blue, Silver, Ash Red, Ash Yellow and Brown chequer.

- Pied and Tiger in the above colours.

Right: Standard drawing by Bud Bergsma. Objectionable Features: Too small, too long, too narrow, too short or too cobby. Too high or too low stance, too much upright stance.

Head too small, too narrow, too pointed, too flat or too square. Small dewlap. Long, pointed beak or too coarse wattle. A 'break' or - the reverse fault – ‘prominence’ between the beak and forehead. Too warty eye ceres. Neck too thin or too long.

Order of importance: General impression - type and stance – Head form – Dewlap – Beak – Eye colour and ceres – leg length – Colour. Ring size: 10 mm Additional Breed characteristics: average weight 650 gram. Due to the legs being set fairly wide apart, the Mariola typically is a bit wobbly when walking. Left: A painting of a Mariola, by the German artist Werner Nordmann.

Right:

Art impression of the Flamenca by Bud Bergsma. Perhaps when designing this image of the giant Flamenca, he let himself be carried away by the notion of "giants" in the Greek Mythology, in particular the one-eyed giant Polyphemus, one of the sons of Neptune. In any case, he is willing to give further information to anyone about his hobby: the giant wattle pigeons.

His e-mail address is:

'budbergsma@hotmail.com' Copyright ©2012 Aviculture-Europe. All rights

reserved by VBC.