Among the primordial races of Spanish Croppers were the Paloma de Casta Azul, admired for their conquering instinct, blue feathering, and refined head shape. They were, to the Gorguero and Jiennense, what the Colitejo was to the Marchenero and Jerezano-their antecedent. These, blended with a posture pigeon variously known as colavuelta, colguero, or olguero, descended from the Quebrado Murciano, gave rise to a pouter extremely popular on La Mesa of the Iberian peninsula, Castile and Madrid, known as the Gorguero. In many ways the Gorguero represented the archetypal pouter in its region, as did the Valenciano in Catalonia and perhaps the Rafeño in Andalusia.

Today in Jaen can be found the Jiennense. They fly well and often with tails curved upwards with a slow, deliberate wing-beat lifting them above the rooftops and cathedral towers. Their colors have a great deal of intensity and clarity, their plumage strong, almond shaped heads and a crop which is never too deep, lacking a distinct crease, and always hanging over the shoulders like a collar.

Standard

General Aspect: The Jiennense combines the features of many races today from various areas where they are popular. This breed is the result of various crossings, achieving a pigeon with well defined characteristics, derived from the Valenciano, Orguero, Gorguero, Rafeño and Murciano. We don't know why so many races were involved in the make-up so it is impossible to say which, if any, had greatest influence. They are of medium size, alert, long, strong, slightly arched neck, slim with a wide chest and strong powerful wings for flight, without exceeding the length of the tail, and held apart in courting. The Crop is never long enough to be dragged on the ground, rather it is graceful, which gives a harmonious appearance.

Head: Strong, not very wide at the top but almond shaped, forming a smooth, unbroken, elliptical line from behind the wattles to the beginning of the neck.

Eye: Always bright and intense red in the darker colors, orange in the lighter colors, never pearl or greenish.

Eye Cere: An important characteristic of this race, they must be dark gray in blues and shiny in blacks, flesh colored in the lighter plumage. The cere must be fine, though a little pronounced at the front, both developing with maturity.

Beak: Juveniles give the impression of a longer beak but as they mature and the wattles fill out the beak appears shorter. The beak is strong and blunt, without a hook at the tip. Older birds tend to show chin wattles.

Wattles: Long, smooth and triangular, developing with maturity.

Legs: Proportionate to the bird, never too short or long, always clean-legged, mulberry red color, covered in scales.

Crop: Pear-shaped, not large but pendulous, never dragging when cooing, maintaining a good balance for flight. Never inflated or held high. The Jiennense has a 'tirilla' but the crop is not creased.

Plumage: Close to the body, strong, in good flying condition. All colors accepted.

Tail: Medium length, strong and wide, twelve feathers.