25 April 2016

Feather Pattern Remains After Dove Window-Strike

A vivid indication of the wing patterns of an Mourning Dove were left after it struck a large pane of window glass.

The pattern indicated the body area, but especially the primary feathers of each wing. For one wing, even the pattern of the secondaries was obvious and vividly prominent. There was no impression of the tail feathers. The image measured 13 inches in width.

After the dove hit the glass with a loud smack, it fell away an inch or two, and then flew away, so seemingly survived the collision.

The dove apparently flew from the top board of a corral fence, which is just about 16-feet northward of the window. The large picture window is on the north side of a cabin. Doves, including the Eurasian Colarred Dove, occasionally walk atop this fence, and they also forage on the nearby bare ground of a horse pen.

The strike occurred about mid-morning on April 24, 2016 at a country setting north of Valentine. Other smaller birds — notably sparrows and the junco — have also occasionally struck this same window, which is characteristically reflective.