Second Semester Motion Studies
-Flight Dynamics-
Pigeons
I chose to study the Pigeon for my winged motion study, as although I've never been a huge fan of them myself, their misconceptions, way of life, and comical dynamics have always interested me - and they would be very easy to observe up
close as they can be found all over Bristol (and every habitable place on Earth, as I later discovered).
close as they can be found all over Bristol (and every habitable place on Earth, as I later discovered).
My first step was to research into the pigeon and it's history. Most of my following conclusions are based on information I read on their Wikipedia page, as well as other internet articles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbidae
Pigeons are a stout-bodied bird with short necks and short slender bills with fleshy ceres. They build relatively flimsy nests from sticks and other debris, which may be placed in trees or on ledges (and sometimes on the ground). They lay one or two eggs, and both parents care for their young, called "squabs", who leave the nest after one to three weeks. Unlike most birds, both parents produce "crop milk" to feed their young.
Pigeons, along with the rest of the Columbidae family (Doves for example), tend to have small heads on large compact bodies. Their characteristic head bobbing has been proven to be due to their natural desire to keep their vision constant - when placed on a moving treadmill, they did not bob their heads as their surroundings were constant.
They have a low wing loading and very strong wing muscles (comprising nearly half of their body weight), and are among the strongest fliers of all birds. They are also highly manoeuvrable in flight.
Columbidae can be found almost everywhere on Earth - the only regions they do not inhabit are the driest areas of the Sahara Desert, Antarctica, and the high Arctic. They have even colonised most of the world's ocean islands across the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans. The Columbidae have adapted to most of the habitats available on the planet.
The pigeon has contributed to both World Wars, playing roles on all sides. Thirty-two pigeons have been decorated with the Dickin Medal for war contributions. Cher Ami, a French homing Pigeon during WWI, was awarded the Croix de Guerre Medal for her service in Verdun, delivering a message that saved an entire infantry division. She later became the mascot for the Department of Service, and following her death she was mounted as taxidermy and is currently part of a 'Price of Freedom' exhibit.
A grand ceremony was held in Buckingham Palace to commemorate a platoon of pigeons that braved the battlefields of Normandy to deliver vital plans to Allied forces on the fringes of Germany. Three of the actual birds that received the medals are on show in the London Military Museum so that well-wishers can pay their respects.
I was aware pigeons have had their uses over the years, but I had no idea they had to quite such an extent. I also didn't know that they had managed to colonise every habitable place on earth. Maybe they're not the useless vermin I thought they were after all!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbidae
Pigeons are a stout-bodied bird with short necks and short slender bills with fleshy ceres. They build relatively flimsy nests from sticks and other debris, which may be placed in trees or on ledges (and sometimes on the ground). They lay one or two eggs, and both parents care for their young, called "squabs", who leave the nest after one to three weeks. Unlike most birds, both parents produce "crop milk" to feed their young.
Pigeons, along with the rest of the Columbidae family (Doves for example), tend to have small heads on large compact bodies. Their characteristic head bobbing has been proven to be due to their natural desire to keep their vision constant - when placed on a moving treadmill, they did not bob their heads as their surroundings were constant.
They have a low wing loading and very strong wing muscles (comprising nearly half of their body weight), and are among the strongest fliers of all birds. They are also highly manoeuvrable in flight.
Columbidae can be found almost everywhere on Earth - the only regions they do not inhabit are the driest areas of the Sahara Desert, Antarctica, and the high Arctic. They have even colonised most of the world's ocean islands across the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans. The Columbidae have adapted to most of the habitats available on the planet.
The pigeon has contributed to both World Wars, playing roles on all sides. Thirty-two pigeons have been decorated with the Dickin Medal for war contributions. Cher Ami, a French homing Pigeon during WWI, was awarded the Croix de Guerre Medal for her service in Verdun, delivering a message that saved an entire infantry division. She later became the mascot for the Department of Service, and following her death she was mounted as taxidermy and is currently part of a 'Price of Freedom' exhibit.
A grand ceremony was held in Buckingham Palace to commemorate a platoon of pigeons that braved the battlefields of Normandy to deliver vital plans to Allied forces on the fringes of Germany. Three of the actual birds that received the medals are on show in the London Military Museum so that well-wishers can pay their respects.
I was aware pigeons have had their uses over the years, but I had no idea they had to quite such an extent. I also didn't know that they had managed to colonise every habitable place on earth. Maybe they're not the useless vermin I thought they were after all!
For a research trip I went to Bristol Museum to visit their wildlife galleries, as I hoped I would find some good taxidermy of pigeons and doves amongst their vast collection of animals. There were next to no pigeons unfortunately, but I did get to study a huge range of birds and observe them in all sorts of poses. A lot of them had their wings spread, giving me a great look at the wingspan and general shape of the wings, something you can't otherwise observe at your own pace from a range of angles.
After I had been around the taxidermy exhibition and gathered some photos, I browsed the Museum gift shop, looking for any books or fact files on birds and their dynamics. I spoke to the staff about my project and asked them if they had any suitable material, and I ended up finding one of these hologram cards featuring birds in flight. Tilting the image gave me control over viewing the stages of their flight cycle by tilting the card, and though not a pigeon, I felt it would be an excellent reference and visual guide for understanding bird flight dynamics.
I got my hands on a Bird information book, which had a few pages on pigeons and their close relative, the dove.
There are pages on the Wood Pigeon, Stock Dove, Collared Dove and Turtle Dove.
They are almost identicle is size, shape, and general appearance, though the colours and patterns differ between the four.
All four have now inhabited most of the world and are widespread throughout Europe with Pigeons being the most far spread and easily found.
Nest constructed by these birds are described as "a simple structure, arranged by twigs haphazardly laid on top of eachother", and are built by both parents
Their eggs are similar size, from 20-31mm, with incubation lasting for roughly from 14-17 days. Each mother bird lays two eggs, with both parents sharing the incubation period.
The young leave the nest between two and three weeks, continuing to be fed by the parents a while longer.
There are pages on the Wood Pigeon, Stock Dove, Collared Dove and Turtle Dove.
They are almost identicle is size, shape, and general appearance, though the colours and patterns differ between the four.
All four have now inhabited most of the world and are widespread throughout Europe with Pigeons being the most far spread and easily found.
Nest constructed by these birds are described as "a simple structure, arranged by twigs haphazardly laid on top of eachother", and are built by both parents
Their eggs are similar size, from 20-31mm, with incubation lasting for roughly from 14-17 days. Each mother bird lays two eggs, with both parents sharing the incubation period.
The young leave the nest between two and three weeks, continuing to be fed by the parents a while longer.
After seeing pigeons so closely beside doves in the Bird Book, I wondered why the two are seen in such different lights when they appear to be the same - especially as the pigeon's true name is the 'Rock Dove'.
While pigeons are widely regarded as filthy and undesirable "vermin with wings", doves are often a visual icon of peace and reconciliation, usually depicted as pure and graceful and carrying an Olive branch - a symbol of peace and victory, which was historically worn by brides and virgins.
While pigeons are widely regarded as filthy and undesirable "vermin with wings", doves are often a visual icon of peace and reconciliation, usually depicted as pure and graceful and carrying an Olive branch - a symbol of peace and victory, which was historically worn by brides and virgins.
Doves vs. Pigeons
After doing some research into this, I found an informative article on the RSPB website, which said:
"There is no strict division between pigeons and doves, which share certain features, including small, rounded heads, small, slim bills with a small fleshy patch at the base, rounded bodies with dense, soft feathers, tapered wings and short, scaly legs, and cooing or crooning calls. The wild rock dove has long been domesticated and ‘escaped’ to live wild as the familiar town pigeon. There are many species all over the world."
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/families/pigeons.aspx
My research taught me that pigeons did used to be a clean member of the domesticated dove family, but after escaping and going wild they took to inhabiting urban areas. Fending for themselves in big cities, it's no surprise they get so filthy and wounded; squabbling amongst eachother for the main and easiest food source, which is of course anything that gets left behind by humans - and this is how they got their dirty scavenger image.
"There is no strict division between pigeons and doves, which share certain features, including small, rounded heads, small, slim bills with a small fleshy patch at the base, rounded bodies with dense, soft feathers, tapered wings and short, scaly legs, and cooing or crooning calls. The wild rock dove has long been domesticated and ‘escaped’ to live wild as the familiar town pigeon. There are many species all over the world."
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/families/pigeons.aspx
My research taught me that pigeons did used to be a clean member of the domesticated dove family, but after escaping and going wild they took to inhabiting urban areas. Fending for themselves in big cities, it's no surprise they get so filthy and wounded; squabbling amongst eachother for the main and easiest food source, which is of course anything that gets left behind by humans - and this is how they got their dirty scavenger image.
Pigeons have a very iconic way of moving and walking, and their necks are a very prominent part of their personality, as they
bob (almost comically) when they walk, and twitch and twist quickly and randomly in frequent mannerisms.
There were a group of recurring pigeon characters in Disney's 2008 animated film 'Bolt'. In the scene below, the Animators have perfectly captured the essence of the pigeon in the dynamics of these characters, who are frequently twitching around and
displaying natural pigeon movements, making the characters very believable. The best example is from 1:32 to 1:46.
bob (almost comically) when they walk, and twitch and twist quickly and randomly in frequent mannerisms.
There were a group of recurring pigeon characters in Disney's 2008 animated film 'Bolt'. In the scene below, the Animators have perfectly captured the essence of the pigeon in the dynamics of these characters, who are frequently twitching around and
displaying natural pigeon movements, making the characters very believable. The best example is from 1:32 to 1:46.
Pigeon's flight dynamics was my key interest for this study, so I started by researching the bird flight, taking in the diagrams and descriptions demonstrating this energetic process. Wikipedia provided the most useful information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_flight
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_flight
I took to Youtube to find some footage of pigeons in flight, to better understand their flight dynamics. I came across this great clip, in which a pigeon's take off has been slowed right down, allowing me to understand each step and movement in the process.
Firstly the pigeon jumps to generate airflow across the wings, creating lift.
Facing into the wind, the pigeon propels itself upwards and brings its wings down into the first flap instantly, its jump having put enough distance between itself and the perch for the wings to safely flap underneath it, before meeting above it in the upward arc, and the flapping cycle begins as the pigeon moves off into the air.
Firstly the pigeon jumps to generate airflow across the wings, creating lift.
Facing into the wind, the pigeon propels itself upwards and brings its wings down into the first flap instantly, its jump having put enough distance between itself and the perch for the wings to safely flap underneath it, before meeting above it in the upward arc, and the flapping cycle begins as the pigeon moves off into the air.
This video, part of the Slow Motion 'Earth Unplugged' series, closely examines the pigeon's take off and the 'clapping' sound the bird makes in flight, under controlled professional conditions. The footage is stunning, and it was interesting to learn that the clap sound is actually created by the bird's wings hitting into eachother above its head - I always thought it was just the sound of the wings beating against the wind, I had no idea how far apart a pigeon's flap angles go, with the wings touching above and under the body!