| Barb | |
| Status: | Common |
| Usgroup: | Fancy |
| Note: | A very old breed of domesticated pigeon which was extant in Shakespeare's day. |
The Barb (also called the English Barb) is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding.[1] Barbs, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants from the rock pigeon (a livia).This breed was referred to by Shakespeare.[2] It was also referred to with an illustration in Charles Darwin's Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication. It has been marked as cruel by many organisations due to the size of its beak which means it has trouble feeding its young and surviving.