Note: We have made a few slight changes in the original standard which was handed down to us by our predecessors in the fancy and which we believe is decidedly for the betterment and popularity of this grand old variety.

General Condition: Condition and inherited constitution is of a very great importance in the modern English Carrier and should be passed upon carefully, before structural points are considered. The bird must be strong, active, and free from bodily defects or ailments of any kind.

Size: Large, measuring as nearly as possible 17 1/2 to 18 1/2 inches from the tip of the beak to the end of the tail and 4 3/4 inches to 5 inches across the widest part of the body, from shoulder to shoulder. Weight: 20 to 23 ounces.

Body: Chest wide and full but not projecting to the front to any great extent.

Shoulders: Wide and well filled out, showing muscular power. Wing butts protruding slightly beyond the chest.

Back: Long and straight, sloping from shoulders towards the rump and showing a slight hollowness rather than the reverse.

Breast Bone or Keel: Long and straight, showing moderate depth and free from indentations.

Symmetry and Station: All points should harmonize, giving the bird a well balanced appearance, being not too extreme in any one point. Station is one of the best characteristic features about a Carrier pigeon. The body must be as erect as possible without allowing the tail to sweep the ground when standing in a natural position. The head must be held well up, giving the bird a very alert, game-like appearance.

Feather Formation: The wing and tail feathers should be strong and well webbed throughout and of good width and length in proportion to the sizes of the bird. The body feathers should be abundant and very firmly set (tight feathered) showing lustre finish, especially on neck and breast.

Neck: The neck should be long and rather slender in proportion to the size of the bird, and cut away clearly at its junction from the chest and throat, the latter being free from gullet. Reach is the length of the neck when the bird is standing at attention. This is one of the chief characteristics of the Carrier and is somewhat enhanced by the high station of the bird and should always receive careful attention.

Legs: Legs must be of good length - heavy in bone and well placed so that the bird may move easily without unusual effort. Cow-hocked, light boned birds are considered very faulty. There should be no feathering below the knee joints.

Feet: Large, with toes well spread. Crooked or defected toes should be looked upon with suspicion. Color of the nails is immaterial.

Face: Length: Measuring from the pupil of the eye to the tip of the beak should not be less than 2 inches in hens and less than 2 1/2 inches in cocks.

Straightness: The tip or center of the beak should be on an absolutely straight line with the pupil of the eye and at right angles to the floor level.

Beak:
Formation and Mandible Fitting: Long and very stout in both mandible and proportionately thick to the very tip, both sections closing tightly showing no spacing at any age of the bird. This is known as a box beak and is a very important point.
Color: A light fleshly hue regardless of the color of the bird.

Wattle:
Size: Large, however, mere size is not desired, especially if other points are weak.
Shape: Rounding and slightly oval at the top extending equally on each side of the beak.
Texture: This is an extremely important point. It should be very hard with the folds closely set and filled in, and a powdery white finish on the outer surface.

Lower Section or Jewing: This should conform in every way with the upper wattle and to complete the rounding shape desired.
(NOTE: Soft, flabby, or so called "beefy" wattles should be severely condemned.)

Eyes: Deep rich red in the iris, except in white which should be black or bull eyes.

Eye Cere: The eye cere should spread in a perfect circle to about the size of a quarter and extending slightly above the level of the skull. The texture should be very fine and free from heavy folds of flesh. The color should be the same as the wattles and should be the same in all Carriers including whites.

Skull: Width between the eyes about 1/2 inch, being equal in measurement at the front and back of the ceres. Length from the tip of the beak to the back of the skull not less than 2 3/4 inches. Shape - the top of the skull should be straight and narrow, and as level as possible from the back of the skull to the base of the wattle. Parallel formation - The sides of the head should be parallel, not tapering (wedge shaped) before reaching the base of the beak.

Color:
White: As pure as possible with satin like luster on the hackle and breast.
Black: Ebony shade with a deep beetle green sheen. Off color in either outer feather or under color or fluff will constitute a cut in color points.
Dun: A smooth even shade of steel gray throughout with no signs of checking or barring in the wing shields. The feathers should also possess a beetle green luster or sheen. (Brown selfs should not be shown in this class as was done in the past. This class is for true duns only and no other color is acceptable).
Blue bar: A clean, even blue-gray free from sootiness, with no signs of running light or turning white on the rump. The neck feathers should be dark and lustrous wtih a metallic sheen. The wing and tail bars shall be a dark black and well defined.
Silver bar (Dilute of blue bar): A silver bar bird will have a light silver-gray breast, back, and wing shields with the remainder of the bird a darker shade of silvery gray. The wings have two distinct dun bars with the tail also ending with a dun bar. (Under no circumstances should the birds in this class have brown bars).
Red: Color should be rich, deep chestnut red color very similar to the modern Carneau. All areas should show luster and sheen being most intense in the neck.
Yellow: Color should be a deep clear golden yellow again very similar to the modern Carneau showing much luster and sheen.
Brown (Formerly shown as dun): Should be an even shade of dark brown throughout, with birds coming in various shades from light to dark chocolate brown. The darker varieties being preferred. The overall color is not as important as having a bird that is one uniform shade throughout. Remember, these birds are not dun.
Brown bar (Formerly shown as silver bar): Should have a light brownish-gray breast, back, and wing shields with the remainder of the bird a darker brownish-gray. There should be some evidence of a green sheen on the darker portions of the bird, especially the neck. The wings should have two distinct dark brown bars with the tail also ending with a dark brown bar.
Grizzle: An even peppery combination of base color and white throughout the entire body, with wing bars or checks being as dark as possible. This class will include all types of grizzles including grizzle bar, check, and tortoise. Acceptable colors will be blue, silver, black, dun, red, yellow, brown, and khaki carrying grizzle.
Any Color Check: A light even ground color throughout with the neck and head being a darker more lustrous shade of the base color. The wing shields should have dark even checkering showing two distinct bars. The tail should also have a darker even bar in most colors.
Pied: Pied birds must be at least 1/3 white and will also include splashes and mottles. This class is not for mismarked birds, such as a blue bar with white flights, but for true pieds which must be between 1/3 and 2/3 white.
AOC: For any bird that is a specific color, such as almond, opal, lavender, but not yet recognized by the NECC. This class is not for pied or mismarks. Pieds have their own class and mismarks should be shown with their base color class and just cut in color points. For example a blue bar with white flights would be shown in the blue bar class and cut in color points.