I read with great interest Thomas Hellmann's article on the Polish Bagdad in the October issue of Feathered World.
I tried to purchase some at the Leipzig show in 2006. There were only a few in the show and unfortunately they were not for sale. When I finally tracked down the owner, just as the show was drawing to a close, the language barrier proved too great.
Thomas Hellmann also mentions Ostrava Bagdads and I managed to buy the only pair in the show at Leipzig.
They are a fascinating pigeon. Levi, in his book 'The Pigeon', states that they are '. . . one of the weirdest looking pigeons of this day'. The German book 'Bildschone Taubenrassen' ('Beautiful Pigeon Breeds') says, 'The Ostrava Bagdad could come across to the first-time observer as ugly. However, if they were to take another look they would surely understand its full beauty and realise that this very contrasting mix actually makes ugliness beautiful and acceptable again.'
The Ostrava Bagdad is a breed from East Morova in the Czech Republic. When I looked up the addresses of exhibitors in the Leipzig show catalogue on my return home, I found that my pair actually came from just outside Ostrava.
Recognised in 1937, the Bagdad influence is obvious and it is believed that a frilled Owl is amongst other breeds is in its ancestry.
See the end of this article and striking pictures of the Ostrava Bagdad in the November 2009 issue of Feathered World
