Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Ghost Pigeons



















Ghost Pigeons - the last enduring testament of a bird's life and premature death.

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.


at

17 comments:

  1. Anya3:13 PM

    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!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous3:15 PM

    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.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Andy M4:09 PM

    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.

    ReplyDelete
  4. 'len4:10 PM

    So beautiful and, please pardon the pun, haunting...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Eve4:31 PM

    http://mnartists.org/tourHome.do?action=start&rid=138472

    I first noticed them as a child. They're fascinating.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous4:51 PM

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/quarteredndrawn/143430135/

    another bird ghost.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous4:57 PM

    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

    ReplyDelete
  8. mark6:58 PM

    here's one:

    http://flickr.com/photos/markgallagher/11291114/

    ReplyDelete
  9. PITA6:59 PM

    I also have a couple photos better than the one posted (in my opinion)but don't know how to upload them.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous10:47 PM

    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!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous4:31 AM

    Here's mine: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brew/2757660794/

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous5:25 AM

    Here's one of my own:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/sansbury/2439764056/

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sonny Malhotra5:44 AM

    http://flickr.com/photos/sonny6/2900318198/

    That's my one, first time I've seen one.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous9:44 AM

    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.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous4:29 PM

    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

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous9:13 PM

    This one was left by a Kererū, our fat native New Zealand pigeon.

    http://www.chriscourt.net/art/splat_1280.jpg

    best
    Chris

    ReplyDelete
  17. Unknown5:28 AM

    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

    ReplyDelete