The English Carrier is a very old breed of pigeon. The first English Carriers were descended from the mid-east. It isn't known exactly when the English Carrier first came to be but probably in the 15th or 16th century. There are 4 breeds of pigeons prominent in the development of the English Carrier: Barb, Dragoon, Persian Carrier and Horseman pigeon. The outcrossing and inbreeding among these breeds created the English Carrier. The standard of todays English Carrier was achieved sometime in the 1800's. The look of the English Carrier was perfected in England. English Carriers have a large wattle on their beak and large cere around their eyes. The cere and wattle continues to develop and reaches perfection at around the 3rd or 4th year of life. They are rather large, tight feathered pigeons and a bit shy in nature. Breeder's consider the English Carrier to be the "king" of pigeons.