# What is Kite?



## Bobuki

I love this color but have no idea what the base color would be.
Does kite show on all three base colors or is it best on black or red?
Is it a modifier and how is the best way to breed it?
Thanks!


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## Chuck K

My only experience with kite is in rollers.

It is a bronze coloring that shows up mainly in the bars and checks. A good kite roller will show the bronze effect in the chest and tail. Kite is easiest to observe in blue pigeons. Blacks with kite tend to be very dark black with a nice beetle green sheen to the neck. Ash red birds carrying Kite will show the ribbon tail pattern.

I believe kite is only partially dominate. A bird carrying only one gene for kite will usually show some bronze in the bars or checks but the expression is poor. I have paired two of these type together and gotten some very nice looking kite birds from them. I assume that occurs when the bird inherits two genes for the factor.

In rollers kite bronze is the factor showing through in grizzle birds that creates what we call a tortoiseshell. Some years back I had a family that carried kite that also carried grizzle. When I paired these birds together I would get some birds homozygous for grizzle that were almost all white including flights and tail with the bronze bars or checks still showing through due to the kite bronze. They were some very nice birds, and I wish I had hung onto a few of them.


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## almondman

I'm pretty sure that using kite also enhances the almond coloring when mated with an almond bird.


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## Bobuki

So tortoiseshell is the same as kite and bronze? Just different terms in different breeds? I have a cool TS WOE the color is amazing. Had no idea it was also kite. Thanks!


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## Chuck K

Bobuki said:


> So tortoiseshell is the same as kite and bronze? Just different terms in different breeds? I have a cool TS WOE the color is amazing. Had no idea it was also kite. Thanks!


Kite is a form of bronze. I have seen the term kite used most often among the roller / tumbler fanciers. A lot more bronzing factors exist than those specific to rollers or tumblers. Many bronze factors are specific to one or two breeds or groups of breeds. In the last books and papers on genetics that I had read those factors had not been thoroughly sorted out to see which were related.

I have not kept up on recent research into bronze genetics. Although I have been looking for some recent books on genetics, there doesn't seem to be many new ones around.

BTW: 'TS' is often used as short hand for toy stencil.


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## Chuck K

almondman said:


> I'm pretty sure that using kite also enhances the almond coloring when mated with an almond bird.


I like to use my best kite birds to almond to get that classical almond type. Kite puts a lot of bronze feathers in the shield area especially if you are using T-pattern birds in the breeding of your almonds. But even then the roller form of kite in my birds usually leaves them a little wanting as almonds. They are good enough for me because I don't raise them for show. Playing with colors is just an amusement (some would say distraction) to supplement my enjoyment of my flying birds.


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## loftkeeper

go to nwoetc.com that is the west of englands tumblers site go to show standard then patterns theres a pic and genetic description make up not the best pic


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## Bobuki

Thanks all!


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## Chuck K

Some folks refer to kite in rollers as roller bronze. I believe the same gene in English tumblers is always called kite. In the tumblers it is more developed / refined than in most rollers.

The bird below is a kite/roller bronze roller. A lot of the bronze color will darken with the first moult, but on a good one you can still see bronze in the bars/checks and when at the base of the tail and flight feathers when you spread them. This bird also carries recessive red which can enhance the color.


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## jabadao

Chuck K said:


> Some folks refer to kite in rollers as roller bronze. I believe the same gene in English tumblers is always called kite. In the tumblers it is more developed / refined than in most rollers.
> 
> The bird below is a kite/roller bronze roller. A lot of the bronze color will darken with the first moult, but on a good one you can still see bronze in the bars/checks and when at the base of the tail and flight feathers when you spread them. This bird also carries recessive red which can enhance the color.


Very nice bird Mr Chuck !

I've got a similar bird in my loft of racing pigeons.
He's a T-pattern white flag **** kite and split for recessive red


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## Bobuki

Beautiful bird!
My kites are jacobins... If I could get my butt out of my chair I'd share some pictures... Soon!


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## newday

*Kite*

Kite out of almond


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## tmaas

Many different types of bronze exist in various breeds and kite is just one form of bronze expression. Quinn (1971) discussed eight different types of bronze, and there may be more. A true kite bronze effect is expressed most quickly in the flight feathers when the wing is extended. In my opinion, the "dirty" gene contributes to the expression of kite into the head and neck areas. Kite bronze is rarely expressed vividly in the wing shield area, and if so it is a smeared bronze tint on the shield.


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## Hawkmaster

I have a racing hen with what I believe is Kite too.


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## tmaas

Here are pics of a couple of my kite bronze homers. First two are of a squab and the third is its mom. They are likely both het. rr.


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## Chuck K

Hawkmaster said:


> I have a racing hen with what I believe is Kite too.


It looks like that hen might be missing the terminal tail bar. If the tail bar is missing the hen is indigo.


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## Chuck K

tmaas said:


> Here are pics of a couple of my kite bronze homers. First two are of a squab and the third is its mom. They are likely both het. rr.


Both of those look like birds carrying recessive red. I have seen a lot of recessive red birds that have the reddish edging on the flights. They may or may not carry kite bronze. The youngster you posted has the typical bronze lacing on all the juvenile feathers that is indicative of birds carrying recessive red. The edging goes away with the first full moult.

You indicated that kite does not affect the feathers in the shield, but kite bronze is usually expressed in the pattern of the shield (smooth spread areas).

This picture is the young roller I posted a few messages back with his adult plumage in place. This roller is roller bronze which is a form of kite.










Oops, that first pic is the brother to the earlier picture. This one is the hen. She isn't very photogenic since she fights to get out of box until she is just exhausted before she will get up on the perch.










A T-Pattern Kite - this one carries recessive red for sure, and he does show it in the flights when they are spread. I am positive that he carries kite bronze because when paired to an ash red hen they throw the ribbon tailed ash reds.


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## tmaas

Chuck, your latter two birds may very well be kite bronze. Some breeds, like rollers, seem to express kite bronze in the wing shield more readily. However, if it's in the wing shield w/o being evident in the flights then it's not kite. Kite bronze typically expresses itself in the breast area with a purplish bronze cast as well. Many bronze factors are mistaken for kite.


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## Roger Siemens

what a cool colour, i would like to find one in my racing pigeon loft.


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## Roger Siemens

my girl friend says i should get rollers as well, perhaps i will find some in that colour


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## Hands

Chuck K said:


> Some folks refer to kite in rollers as roller bronze. I believe the same gene in English tumblers is always called kite. In the tumblers it is more developed / refined than in most rollers.
> 
> The bird below is a kite/roller bronze roller. A lot of the bronze color will darken with the first moult, but on a good one you can still see bronze in the bars/checks and when at the base of the tail and flight feathers when you spread them. This bird also carries recessive red which can enhance the color.


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## Hands

Hey Chuck,
I realize these messages are years old. But I thought I would take a shot. You seem to be the one with the most knowledge on the site. Any way, I am a 62 year old disabled veteran and many years ago I flew pigeons. I would like to find some flyers. I really have no idea what you were talking about as far as color goes. I guess I had a couple hundred normal colored birds. I flew birds for many years. Well, my question is I would like to get a few good flying birds. Flights, rollers, tumblers, high flyers and birds that like to fly. If you could share some information I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you for your time,
David”Hands” Terceira


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## Mr.T

Bobuki said:


> I love this color but have no idea what the base color would be.
> Does kite show on all three base colors or is it best on black or red?
> Is it a modifier and how is the best way to breed it?
> Thanks!


The Kite is a gene makes the color bronze
mostly it comes with blue
but it can be on any other basic colors. however it is best shown on blue.


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## Mr.T

Bobuki said:


> I love this color but have no idea what the base color would be.
> Does kite show on all three base colors or is it best on black or red?
> Is it a modifier and how is the best way to breed it?
> Thanks!


The Kite is a gene makes the feathers bronze
it can come with any color but most likely and it appears clearly on the blue color 

thanks


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