The archangel is a species of fancy pigeon, identifiable by the metallic sheen of its feathers. The Archangel, along with other varieties of domestic pigeons, is all descended from the rock pigeon (Columba livia). They are bred as an ornamental or fancy breed, prized for their unusual appearance. Archangels are small. They have featherless legs and dark orange eyes. They may or may not be crested. The bird’s body is bronze or gold in color and its wings are either black, white, or blue.
This breed is also known as the Gimpel, which is the German term for Eurasian bullfinch. The United States is the only country where all color forms are called “Archangels”, in Great Britain only the black- and copper-colored birds are called Archangels, this is because the black and copper type was created in Great Britain.
The Archangel is known as the Gimpeltaube in Germany, most of the color types were refined in Germany. This is a very old breed; the most likely place of origin is Dalmatia. Breeders maintain consistency within the breed by following the breed standard.
