I'm not sure why I've held onto this picture. It was taken in the town square in Tecate, Mexico, and this pigeon looks so awkward on takeoff that it tickles me. Do all birds look like this at the moment they're trying to get their first bit of lift? I don't think so. Just pigeons, probably.
Shiva's pigeons are so vulnerable to predators that I don't want to ridicule their attempts to gain altitude.
What's awkward about it? Landing gear is neatly tucked away, tail is flared for increased lift (like flaps). Tail is also angled and spread to the right, perhaps to counter a crosswind.
It looks more like it's landing than taking off.
Albatrosses:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKTfcs6LL6A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H9PQ6jt9us
The Laysan Albatrosses at Kilauea Lighthouse on Kauai (same species as on Midway) nest at the top of a long, grassy hill, which they use as a runway/ski jump for takeoff.
Disney portrayed this well in "The Rescuers."
Pigeons are the clumsiest creatures imaginable. My poodle even caught one once that was too slow to take off. And I remember seeing one panic for no reason and fly straight into a wall, breaking its neck.
Jack Parr delighted young viewers of The Tonight Show with videos of gooney birds landing and taking off over sixty years ago.
For all that, pigeons can fly at 50 mph for ten hours straight.
You’ve never seen a Loon taking off….
Awkward take off?
Shouldn't that pigeon have Trump Airline emblazoned on it's side?
Better yet, "Trump Force One". (gag, retch)
If so, it would be parked.