How can it fly?

[henry d]

I`ve just got a computer so I thought I`d try to post a piccy or 2(hopefully)OH DEAR DIDN`T WORK

Edited August 12, 2005 by henry d

[henry d]

Try again......

[henry d]

one more ******ng try on my own....Yes ya beauty(many thanks guys!!!)

Edited August 20, 2005 by henry d

[Teal]

One things for sure, it's not able to fly anymore. Seriously- shot wouldn't have knocked all those feathers out, although you do see some 'tailess' woodies! So probably just a feather development abnormality. At a guess I'd wonder if it had to flap more often to compensate for a reduction in friction.

[feather]

At a guess I'd wonder if it had to flap more often to compensate for a reduction in friction.

Good thinking Teal My first thought was, did it reduce its food intake in any effort to compensate for the feather lose. We must think the pigeon is completely stupid, not by a long chalk.

I have seen Gannets at sea throw up all the fish in their gut in order to make an escape when the fishing boats came to close to them on the water.

Best regards,

Feather.

[henry d]

As you may be able to see there are feathers just emerging from the sheaths,which could mean a moult as it is symetrical(?) however it was in the pink of health otherwise and as fat as the other 39 I shot.As regards flight it was ok in level flight as it came in lik the others it just overshot the killing zone and was trying to avoid colliding with the magnet when I shot it.To my mind it was little affected by the lack of primary feather loss,but the tail feathers caused it a few probs.....I wondered if anyone had seen anything similar.

[blackthorn]

ive seen a normal pigeon come in and one with no tail feathers at all leave got to give the next bird a bit moor lead

[dunganick]

your getting my birds

 

im good at trimming the tail feathers, its what i do best.

 

make sure to send some back this way, were a little short at the moment

[henry d]

Perth to Kent....**** off get the train up tight ***(bring LB with you! he needs a holiday)

[dunganick]

 

he's bloody getting one soon, few weeks in newzealand, its alright for some

[Fisherman Mike]

Its amazing how many wing feathers a Pigeon can lose and still fly.

 

 

This one still has many of its secondary wing feathers intact and about 1/3f of its primary. I have seen airbourne birds with slightly less ( just two or 3 primary intact) but flight was obviously difficult and laboured.

 

The feathers are lost naturally in moult but not generally in that sort of number.. more often than not its tree top territorial fights which happen this time of year and coincide with peak breeding periods.

 

great piccy Henry. V. Interesting...

 

Fisherman Mike