ASR Terminology

Note:  These original terms were published by Randall Rapetti, Laguna Niguel, California. Jeff Wozniak sent me a copy.  I have added a few of my own.  If you have some you feel would be good additions or corrections please send them to me and will put them up.

SCISSOR WING -  The refers to a condition in which the tail and the wing ends cross like a pair of scissors. 

BUG EYED - Applies to eyes that protrude beyond acceptable limits from the eye socket.

BUSHY ASSED - Loose feathers on the underside of the rump.

CONDITION - This refers to feather quality and overall health.

COW HOCKED - A condition in which the bird is knock-kneed.

CREASE - A fold in the otherwise smooth feather surface of the head, neck, or chest.

CROSS BEAKED - This applies the mandibles of a bird that cross at the tips.  This trait is due to a homozygous recessive condition.

FRILL - This is a tuff of feathers on the chest or neck of a bird.  This trait due to a homozygous recessive condition.

FLAT ASSED - A bird which is soft, flat, and wide at the rump.

FLUTTING  - This indicates small, quill sized pleats in the wing shield.

FRETS - These are small quill sized pleats in either the primary of secondary feathers.

FRONTAL - This usually refers to the area of the head from the center of the eye to the top of the beak, and sometimes in relation to the skull substance between the eye
                       and the beak.

GULLET - This indicates the underside of the neck at the point where it joins the head.

DEWLAP - This is an oversized gullet and is an undesirable trait.

HINGE ASSED - This is a bird which appears to "hinge" between the body and the rump/tail area.

HOOKED BEAK "HAWK BEAKED" - This is when the tip of the upper mandible grows too long.  Basic beak maintenance should eliminate this problem.

HOCK ANGLE - This refers to the angle of what would be the bend of the knee and ankle.

IMPACT BIRD - This is a phrase coined by Jack Hamilton which refers to a stock bird that will breed quality pigeons regardless of its mate.  This is also referred to as
                             "prepotent".

HIT PAIR -  This is a pair of birds that continuously raise outstanding offspring. 

DEEP KEEL - This is when the keel of a bird is prominent and projects downward.  Some racing pigeons fanciers like this, but is not a good show trait.

SMOOTH KEEL - This refers to a keel void of nicks, bumps and deviations.

LONG CAST - A show racer that looks longer than the standard.

MANDIBLES - The mandibles are the upper and lower jaws.  These bones are covered with an insoluble protein called "Keratin".  Together they form the beak.

NEEDLE BEAK - This is a bird with a thin (narrow) beak as compared to the standard.

PIN HOLES - These are holes in feathers usually caused by pigeon flies and lice.

PANTS - Pants specify heavy feathering on the upper and lower legs that give an appearance of wearing pants. 

POLLY HEADED/FACED - Specifies a bird which appears round headed, lacking sufficient distance between the center of the eye and beak.  This sometimes referred to
                                                 being short faced.

POWER - This usually refers to "size" and "substance" of a show racers head, beak, and neck, but can also be used to describe the bird in general.

SEVEN CUT - This is the desirable angle between the beak (gullet) and the neck of a show racer.  It looks like the number "7".

REACH (Punch) - Reach pertains to the distance from the center of the eye to the tip of the beak.  Reach can be an illusion  heavily influenced by the shape of the head and
                 depth of the "seven cut".

NARROW VENTS - This is a desirable condition in which the end of the vent bones are close together.

SIDEBURNS - These are small feathers protrude horizontally from near the ear of a bird.

STATION - This describes the way a bird positions itself .  All breeds have a desirable station.  This is a very important trait and all good breeders strive for it.
                     The "American Show Racer" standard for station is basically a 45-50 degree angle between the tip of the tail and the eye of the bird.  Station should
                      demonstrate balance and proportion throughout.  Good station catches ones eye!  It appears that the bird is saying "hey, look at me".

STOVE PIPED - This is a long neck.

SUNKEN CHEST - A condition where the wing butts protrude way ahead of the chest.  It appears the chest is "sunken".

SWEEP - This describes a smooth contoured upper outline of the head and beak.

WATTLE - The white tissue covering the nostrils.

SPLIT WATTLE - This is when feathers grow between to two halves of the wattle.

WEDGE - This describes a body shape of a bird from the width of the shoulders to the tail that appears to form a wedge.

WHIPTAIL (SINGLE TAIL) - This describes a condition in which the twelve tail feathers appear as one.  This is due the homozygous condition of a recessive gene.

BROOMTAIL - This is a tail that fans out just a little and is definitely not a whiptail.

WING BUTTS - This is the front part of the wings that run perpendicular to the breast.

Some of my terminology:

BEAST - Any bird that weighs more than 22 ounces.

SHRIMP - Any bird that weighs less than 17 ounces.

HOODED - This refers to the way a bird positions its head and neck while stationing which is similar to an irritated cobra.  Great trait!

DUCKY - A bird that stations like a duck.  The tail is held high and the chest protrudes way forward of the wing butts. This is a major fault.

TURTLE BEAK - This is a condition in which the upper mandible has a serration midway between the beginning and end of the beak.  This
                                prevents the two mandibles from meeting and forming a straight smooth interface. Negligence in beak maintenance is the main cause of this fault.

VALENTINE WATTLE - A wattle shaped like a heart that has a smooth white surface.