"Mosaic" Ringneck Dove
Pictures courtesy of Phil Schultz & Myron Turk

Tangerine Pearled or Violet Neck?

This Ringneck is a Mosaic cock bred by Myron Turk. Its a one of a kind bird; one in a million occurrences. They can be either sex. MOSAIC is a term used more often with the domestic breeds of pigeons. What happens is two sperm fertilize the same egg. This is the first time it has been found in the Ringneck Dove; it is found in pigeons more often. The visual of such a bird is that one side of the bird is one color (mutant) & the other side is another color (mutant). If you look at the bird from above  (as seen in the picture) you will see what is meant. What we have in this dove genetically is either a Tangerine Pearled or a Violet Neck. When paired it will reproduce either mutant, but cannot reproduce itself.  To see a "mosaic" pigeon go to www.slobberknockerlofts.com & the "color chart".

Here is a link to see an animated clip of what happens when two or more sperm enter the same egg. http://www.stanford.edu/group/Urchin/poly-sp.htm

I thank Phil & Myron for sharing this very unique Ringneck with us.

FAQ