A type of pigeon or dove breed, particularly a domestic variety known for its distinctive appearance or coloring.
From Middle French faverel or fauvel, possibly related to fauv- (meaning 'tawny' or 'reddish') or connected to historical animal-naming traditions. The term appears in medieval and Renaissance texts on animal husbandry and poultry breeding.
Medieval Europeans obsessively bred and named pigeon varieties, and faverel is one of the many breed names that survived in old texts. These birds mattered economically and socially—they were pets, food, messengers, and status symbols all at once.
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