Recently, I've become aware of what I call "ghost pigeons, " the imprint a pigeon makes on a glass window of a building when it unwittingly flies into it. They are spooky and depressing and kind of pretty all at the same time.
Now that I'm aware of them, I see them all the time when I look out of the windows in downtown office buildings.
If you have any ghost pigeon pix, please post.
17 comments:
Are you sure they're all pigeon ghosts? Not some other birds?
And what is the whitish material they leave on the window? Pigeon dander? : )
Thanks for posting these!
Bill,
I have 6 cockatiels and they make these kind of imprints on my sliding glass door all the time.
Don't make the mistaken belief that the birds are killed when they run into a building.
The "imprint" is due to the "dander" from where the feathers attach to the body. It's a combination of skin and the feather (quill end). The dirtier ones just need a bath :)
Usually the worst thing to happen is that they break a beak, this means that they will have trouble eating.
Here's one of mine. I don't know if it's a pigeon, but it is a bird, and I saw it hit. It's on a bus. Feel free to post the image if you like.
So beautiful and, please pardon the pun, haunting...
http://mnartists.org/tourHome.do?action=start&rid=138472
I first noticed them as a child. They're fascinating.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/quarteredndrawn/143430135/
another bird ghost.
I have a brilliant shot of a 'ghost pigeon' but it wasn't a pigeon it was a butcher bird. I live in Australia and have been noticing this beautiful phenomena for a while now.z
Unfortunatly I don't know how to upload a picture onto your page...
Joe
here's one:
http://flickr.com/photos/markgallagher/11291114/
I also have a couple photos better than the one posted (in my opinion)but don't know how to upload them.
There is a skyway downtown St. Paul that is covered in ghost pigeons. Probably 15 or more on one side alone. I'll post some pics soon!
Here's mine: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brew/2757660794/
Here's one of my own:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sansbury/2439764056/
http://flickr.com/photos/sonny6/2900318198/
That's my one, first time I've seen one.
The imprint I remember most was in a circular stairway in a hotel in Haiti. Glass all around, and there was a distinct imprint where two birds flew into the glass side by side - apparently a pair of birds flying together.
I have taken some similar pictures
http://bp2.blogger.com/_fcLO5fmbQqg/R1fy_t3DeqI/AAAAAAAAAZM/X3xaOMBhFB0/s1600-h/14102007094.jpg
from this site
http://delicatesituations.blogspot.com/
amazingly similar photographs
enjoy
jon
This one was left by a Kererū, our fat native New Zealand pigeon.
http://www.chriscourt.net/art/splat_1280.jpg
best
Chris
That's an interesting observation. I never saw this before.
You guys might enjoy this article on the matter -http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1080505/Revealed-The-pigeon-life-real-pane.html
(Daily Mail, Oct 25 2008).
Also, I think the imprint may be caused by the grease on the bird's feathers. The grease causes rain to pearl off the feathers, so the birds don't become soggy and heavy during rain.
Regards,
Daniel
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