Pigeon Plumage !!!

Pigeons / Doves are quite attractive and it is challenging photographing them when flying !! 

 

Here in this picture, the Pigeon opened its wings and its plumage was well captured but it looked far different – the plumage looked sort of   "shredded" than the sleek pigeons we usually see.  Not sure whether it was wet, weak or was that simply air pressure.  Read that under the stress of flight, the gaps between feathers become much more exaggerated than when the bird is perched and its feathers are neatly tucked together.  

Some web searches reveal that the wings look different because this pigeon is mid flap with very worn and probably has  missing feathers.  The most likely culprit is molting. Pigeons replace their feathers periodically to keep them flight-ready. In this photo, you can see significant gaps in the wing feathers (primaries and secondaries) and a very uneven, jagged tail.  

The picturing was  at the top of a powerful downstroke, so all the flight feathers are spread, twisted and slightly back lit, exaggerating gaps. Several primaries and tail feathers are frayed or broken (likely from age, fights, predators, or brushing buildings and wires), so the edges look ragged instead of smooth. The body is sharply focused while the wing tips show slight motion blur, which further distorts their shape in the frame.

 
Interesting !
 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
17.3.2026