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Photos and additional information or history on the American Flying Tumbler pigeon are welcome and will be credited!! To make additions or corrections to this website please contact the webmaster
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Baldhead Silver Bar AFT Hen
photo submitted by Doratha Connally
HISTORY:
There are at least two anecdotal histories of the origin of the American Flying Tumbler pigeon breed. Both are from close associates of Mr. Lichtenwald.
One states that Mr. Lichtenwald combined American Roller pigeons and English Muffed Tumbler pigeons.
Another, written by Bruce Cooper,* is as follows:
Gus Lichtenwald was born of German parents in Tsaritsin, Russia (renamed Stalingrad in 1925, renamed again Volgograd in 1961). Gus' father and uncle were pigeon fanciers in the early 1900s. In the "Old Country" pigeons were very valuable: an exceptional bird would bring as much as 10 rubles.
The Lichtenwalds moved to Canada in 1913 where they again pursued the pigeon hobby until 1902. That year they moved to the Pacific Northwest and settled in Portland, Oregon. They purchased a home on North East 13th Avenue where Gus lived the rest of his life.
In 1948 Gus set out to breed a better Roller. What Gus considered different and better would cause a riot among some circles. What he did was to nearly create a new breed.
Guy purchased two pairs of Roller pigeons from George B. Duboise of Cleveland, Ohio. These birds were two cocks; each mated to his own daughter, so the first generation was three quarters of the old cock in each one.
From these pigeons he was able to breed some birds that were more frequent in performance than those he had at the time. These turned Gus "round" in what he considered the good ones. Prior to this time high flying, deep but seldom spinning was Gus' aim and delight.
Now (with the new birds) he was off in the opposite direction with what he called the American Flying Tumbler. He said, "They will fly only as high as I can see them good and they will spin, tumble, flop and slide - and they'll do it every turn of their wings. I don't care how long they fly as long as they do something in the way of performing constantly.
Over the years people kidded him, insulted him, laughed at him but never changed his aim in the way of constantly performing birds.
Twenty years passed and the American Flying Tumbler, as Gus originally described it, became a reality when the flying standard, which Gus wrote, was accepted by the National Pigeon Association.
They fly ever so slowly with wings that move like a butterfly's and rarely fly in a complete circle without bursting into wild spasms of performance. Part of the time it's just mad confusion, however they kit very well. Some roll deep and roll tight but mostly they are all doing something all the time.
Gus Lichtenwald had arrived at the goal he had set 20 year before. He didn't try to impress people with himself or his birds. Gus is gone now but for some of us his remarks on this birds come to mind. "This is what I like. They suit me and give me the enjoyment I want."
Now for a description of what they look like today (1968). They are mostly blacks. The original cocks were black badges and they were extensively line bred. They are small in size, pearl eyed and have a tippy toe stance. They are shockingly docile and friendly.
Their bodies are gracefully proportioned showing good width of chest and tapering gradually to its head. Triangular when viewed from above. Their eyes are of course, pink pearl. The eyes is encircled by a fine white eye cere.
The head is a graceful curving oval. The legs are short but not so that the bird appears to squat.
They stand small and erect with a full chest.
(*This article appears to be a summation of another article published in the April 1968 issue of the American Pigeon Journal)
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