| bitterntwisted |
Thursday 24th April 2008 20:50 |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris-Leeds
(Post 1182796)
Hi Bob, never considered that. What I've thought about was how similar in flight it was to a displaying woodpigeon. With the rising and falling, just the size and colouring was different. Never seen turtle doves, maybe they have similar flight patterns?
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Turtle Dove display is similar to Woodpigeon, but different in ways that's not easy to describe, so I've posted the BWPi description below. I've only watched it on two occasions myself, although several flights each time, and was put more in mind of Collared Dove than Woodpigeon. Also, Turtle Dove is now a very scarce bird in the recording area with no records in 05 and 06, although 1+ hung around Methley Bridge area in 04.
At that location (overlooking the causeway from the bank between the Aire and St. Aidans) both Kestrel and Sparrowhawk are resident, and both display similarly as Poecile says although personally I think Sparrowhawk display doesn't quite fit and is usually above a woodland canopy at a greater height than you seem to imply.
Also, I see Green Woodpecker around Lemonroyd Lock / Methley Bridge half the times I go there - i know the colours don't fit but they are not obviously green when viewed in certain lights and angles - they often 'turn green' when they fly directly away. The flight pattern does fit well as Keith said.
Graham
BWPi:
(1) Display-flight. Typically performed by ♂ after (long) bout of Advertising-calls and in presence of ♀ (Hoffman 1927; Colquhoun 1940: see 1 in Voice). Unlike S. decaocto, apparently directed only at mate (Glutz and Bauer 1980); however, according to Kotov (Kotov 1974a), performed both to attract ♀ and to dissuade strange ♂♂ from approaching occupied nest-site. Display-flight invariably performed at sight of another conspecific bird flying nearby (D Goodwin). ♂ takes off from elevated perch and, with tail widely fanned, makes steeper and swifter ascent than C. palumbus to c. 20–30 m; all, or only last 2–5, of the few rapid wing-beats produce Wing-clapping less loud than in C. palumbus (Tooby 1946). Bird glides slightly further up after ceasing wing-beats and then spirals slowly down, wings fully spread and horizontal (sometimes raised vertically: Klinz 1955); tail also fanned showing contrasting black and white pattern (see Goodwin 1955). Bird may return to starting point in wide arc or move to different perch up to c. 100–150 m away; Advertising-call invariably given after landing (Naumann 1833; Hoffmann 1927; Colquhoun 1940; Hosking 1942; Klinz 1955; Kotov 1974a; Glutz and Bauer 1980). Gliding descent may be followed directly by renewed ascent, whole performance being given up to 6 times (Kotov 1974a; Glutz and Bauer 1980); such repeats said by Colquhoun (Colquhoun 1940) to be rare. Gliding phase may last up to c. 1–1˝ min (Kotov 1974a), bird sometimes remaining high in the air for some time before landing (Goodwin 1970; see also Colquhoun 1940). ♂ observed by Hosking (Hosking 1942) descended, renewed ascent, then glided round tree in which ♀ perched. Display-flight also performed by ♀ though less commonly (Glutz and Bauer 1980); however, in one study ♀♀. and ♂♂ seen regularly in Display-flight together in evenings at start of breeding season (Hosking 1942; see also Selous 1901 and Hoffmann 1927). Most Display-flights performed during pair-formation and nest-building; fairly frequent during incubation, though rarer later and normally cease with hatching of 2nd clutch (Kotov 1974a). |
