The Pigmy Pouter is a breed

Breed

A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...

 of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding

Selective breeding

Selective breeding is the process of breeding plants and animals for particular genetic traits. Typically, strains that are selectively bred are domesticated, and the breeding is sometimes done by a professional breeder. Bred animals are known as breeds, while bred plants are known as varieties,...

. Pigmy Pouters, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons

Domestic Pigeon

The Domestic Pigeon was derived from the Rock Pigeon. The Rock Pigeon is the world's oldest domesticated bird. Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets mention the domestication of pigeons more than 5,000 years ago, as do Egyptian hieroglyphics.Research suggests that domestication of pigeons was as early as...

, are all descendants from the Rock Pigeon

Rock Pigeon

The Rock Dove or Rock Pigeon, is a member of the bird family Columbidae . In common usage, this bird is often simply referred to as the "pigeon"....

 (Columba livia).

Noted British poultry breeder Sir John Sebright

Sir John Sebright, 7th Baronet

Sir John Saunders Sebright, 7th Baronet DL , of Besford, Worcestershire, and Beechwood Park, Hertfordshire, was an English politician and agricultural innovator.-Life:...

 (who later bred the Sebright Bantam

Sebright (chicken)

The Sebright is a breed of chicken named after its developer, Sir John Saunders Sebright. The Sebright is one of the oldest recorded British 'true' bantam , created in the 19th century through a selective breeding program designed to produce an ornamental breed...

) is believed to have first bred the Pigmy Pouter, though the issue is debatable.

North American Reception

Although the pigmy pouter has been heralded as a bizarre creature and its popularity has not increased much from its introduction to North American society, it still has a decicated fanbase gathered together by groups such as the American Pigmy Pouter Club. This makes obtaining such a bird a difficult task in North America. However, dedicated breeders such as Tim Matlack, Kristina Pade, and Nathan Costa have been striving to increase the bird's popularity and make it the most prevalent show bird.