A Catalonian flying pigeon breed with a long and widespread history.

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1 Ull de Maduixa(Catalonian) Ojo de Fresa(Spanish) A Catalonian flying pigeon breed with a long and widespread history. With our thanks to the Catalonian specialty club of this breed, for all the information, and in particular to the Club s secretary, Mr. Emilio Blasco, Barcelona (Spain). The origin of this breed is not precisely known, some say India or North Africa, others say Spain, and the latter is very well possible as an intermediate station. According to Levi s encyclopaedia The Pigeon and also stated by Raphael Buch Brage, this breed, the Ull de Maduixa is classified in Spain as one of the many breed, colour and marking varieties within the class of Catalonian flying pigeons (Colom de vol). Brage however, doesn t refer to Levi but to Geronimo Cortes, who already in mentioned the Colom de Vol (Catalonian flying pigeon) in Left: One of the aviaries of José Antonin in Mataro (Catalonia), a breeder who tried to preserve the Ull de Maduixa, being one of the many Spanish pigeon breeds. Right: José Antonin, not only drafted the breed s Standard but also designed the Standard drawing in 1991, giving much attention to the sub varieties of the Ull de Maduixa, such as the Punyalada (left, partly naked-neck), the Ull de Maduixa with groused legs and the one with a frill. Lately, in particular after 1992, when the contacts between the Spanish fanciers and the Dutch Specialty Club for Iberian Pigeon Breeds (SIS) were in full swing, we noticed the resemblance of this breed with the Dutch Valkenet, the English Barb, the German Indianer and the French Polonais. The main difference was the size; the Ull de Maduixa was remarkably smaller than the breed with which it had so much resemblance. The preservation of this breed is due to the efforts of the Catalonian vet and pigeon expert José Antonin i Catrecasas, who had assigned himself in the 90-ties as the preserver of (amongst others) the Catalonian flying pigeon breeds. In those years José Antonin had tens of aviaries with hundreds of pigeons, which he had relocated. By means of strict breeding programs and selection he tried to keep those breeds pure. Thanks to his devotion, the breed standards could be drafted and -under the umbrella of the then Association Espagnole Avicultura Artistica AEAA submitted to the Entente Europeènne and it was approved. Unfortunately, José Antonin was not capable to continue this all. Most pigeons that he bred went to other fanciers and were spread all over the country, whereby undoubtedly many valuable breeding lines got lost.

2 The literally translation of Ull de Maduixa (Catalonian) and Ojo de Fresa (Spanish) in English is Strawberry Eye and in Dutch language it is Aardbeienoog; a very illustrative name: the colour (bright red) and the structure (two to three rims thick) of the eye ceres. Moreover, the ceres are thin at the eye but get thicker at the outer edge. Noteworthy is the reference that is made in the Spanish pigeon literature, pointing at the resemblance between the Ojo de Fresa and the Dama de Elche (Lady of Elche). This is a stone bust that was discovered by chance in 1897 at an archaeological site in Elche, near Valencia, which is generally believed to date from 400 B.C. The remarkable big coils on each side of the face have led to a comparison with the Maduixa Ull. Above: The Lady of Elche, with her exceptional head ornaments, photographed in the National Archeologic Museum in Madrid. Right: The Lady of Elche, as pictured on Wikipedia. In Spain, it is believed to be a piece of Iberian sculpture from the 4th century B.C., though the artisanship suggests strong Hellenistic influences. The size of the bust is: height 56 cm, width 45 cm and depth 37 cm. Photo: Manuel Parada López de Corselas (E) Left: A red cockbird of José Antonin, at the age of 3, at which age the eye ceres are fully developed. Below a pigeon of 6 years old, too old to show, but still a very vital bird.

3 Right: This oval painting from the 18 th century by an unknown artist, is in the collection of a French Museum. This is obviously the breed known in French as Polonais. According Louis Mannant in his book Le Pigeon cet Inconnu from 1958, this concerns an Africans breed, which was also called Le Barbe, meaning the pigeons from the land of the Berbers; the indigenous peoples of North Africa. This name is also used in Spain: Palomos Barbaros, translated: pigeons of the Berbers. The Ull de Maduixa in black is the most common, next is the yellow, then the blue and the most rare colour is white. A white tail, or white flights in coloured wings (or the other vice versa) is allowed. On the left you see the most common variety, with large eye ceres, no frill and no groused legs. The picture below is the Punyalada, a variety that may occur when breeding the Ull de Maduixa with frill. According his documentation, José Antonin bred several pigeons with a naked neck from parents with a frill. In France, the fanciers call such a de-feathered neck a fanon. The drawings in this page and the next page, show various standard colours, with or without frill and clean-legged and with groused legs.

4 Left: A black Ull de Maduixa, with groused legs and a frill. Both characteristics the frill and the groused legs - don t have to be present in the same bird, but both are a sign of feather abundance. Right: A red Ull de Maduixa, with groused legs and without frill. Concise Standard description The Ull de Maduixa is a small flying pigeon breed, weighing 285 to 340 grams. They are strong and cobby birds with a relatively broad chest and back, an upright stance, short body and the tail hardly longer than the wings. Compared to the body, the head is rather large, round and wide, with a short, wide beak and large wattles at the upper and lower mandible. Because this breed has the sooty factor, the beak colour is light-horn coloured, except in the blues and blacks, where even a dark beak is allowed. Only when the birds are 4 to 5 years old, the eye ceres will have the desired size, with two or three rims, thin at the eye but getting thicker at the outer edge, and of a bright red colour. The eyes are desired to be pearl coloured, but some red veining is allowed. Right: Ull de Maduixa in the aviaries at José Antonin s, a number of Blacks and two Whites. The one pigeon in the left has a white tail and some white flights. Unfortunately all these pigeons are gone and today the white Ull de Maduixa is probably extinct. This breed is one of the classes of Catalonian flying pigeon breeds, although it is a moderate flyer. The bird has a calm nature and is very confiding. For several reasons they are not good parents. They want to be good parents, and they have a good egg production together with good fertile eggs, and the young hatch very well.

5 However, at the 10 th day, when the young switch to solid feed, things go wrong. That is why it is advised to use foster parents, but dedicated fanciers try to let the parents rear their youngsters for at least as long as the first week, as this will keep up the feeding instinct of the parents. Left: This Ull de Maduixa was entered at the Spanish national Championship Show in 2007 in Asturias in North-West of Spain. This pigeon however lacks in head form, in profile the head should appear well rounded. Furthermore the head is comparatively small and the beak is rather long. The eye ceres and eye colour are fine. In view of the development of the nose wattles, this is still a young bird that undoubtedly will develop further. Right: Outstanding head of a yellow Ull de Maduixa. Below: Head study of a black Ull de Maduixa. Here the eye ceres are really at the maximum size!

6 Today in Barcelona, Emilio Blasco is trying to re-create the white Ull de Maduixa. Right: The first attempts of Emilio Blasco to re-create the White Ull de Maduixa. He seems to be on the right track with these crossings of grizzle and dominant yellow and this will probably work out fine. Photo: Emilio Blasco. Below: Two young F1 birds, destined to breed the white Ull de Maduixa. The head form and eye ceres are already very promising, only the beak is desired to be more massive, and of course the final yellow spots in the plumage need to go. Another concern is the eye colour, which is desired to be pearl. Photo: Emilio Blasco. Right: In comparison for size, the Ull de Maduixa, photographed together with a white Carrier. Photo: Emilio Blasco. Sources : Levi s encyclopedia The Pigeon 1986, 203a «Le Pigeon cet Inconnu» By : Louis Mannant, Race d Afrique : Le Barbu et le Polonais. For more information please contact the Spanish (Catalonian) Specialty Club: Club del Colom Ull de Maduixa Apartat de Correus, Sr. President Emilio Blasco. E BARCELONA Spanje Tel : 0034-(0) emiliomaler@gmail.com

7 Left : Emilio Blasco (Barcelona, Spain), is not just the Secretary of the Ull de Maduixa Breeders Club, but he is also a known breeder, Judge, organizer and very talented painter of all sorts of animals. In the picture he is admiring the bantams of his friend Ramon Amenos, who gathered on this fence to roost for the night. Right: Ull de Maduixa, Punyalada variety. Painting by Emilio Blasco. Left: Two Ull de Maduixa at a painter s palette. Painted by: Emilio Blasco. This painting is part of the collection of the Pigeon Museum in Nuremberg (D). Left: Ull de Maduixa with frill. Painted by: Emilio Blasco. Copyright 2011 Aviculture-Europe. All rights reserved by VBC.