Poltergeist southwest suburban pigeons -- Ghost images haunt Orland Park windows

I'm not a big bird expert, but I suspect those greyish "love birds" are a species from a line of pigeons. They have to be the dumbest birds out there. They don't even know how to take care of their babies -- if DCFS had a branch for pigeons, these birds in Orland Park and the Southwest Suburbs would be on their 10 Most Wanted List for bad parenting.

They have babies like crazy, and can't take care of them. It's really sad. I have one female pigeon with two babies in a flower basket hanging from the garage eave in front of the house. At least she's smart. The baby pigeons fall out of the nests -- the parents are the worst nest builders among the bird species -- all the time. At least the hanging basket has an edge and they'll grow up with some color.

Now, I don't know the species for sure -- maybe someone out there does and can share that. But it is a light grey with a fascinating zigzag on the side of the neck of a sparkling green or teel. It looks like a lightening strike and it's the most interesting part of the bird.

But, there is one other characteristic of these birds and many homeowners who have large windows that face east and west probably know well. They are often confused by the sunlight and fly into the sun's reflection in the windows.

Don't go into the light! Don't go into the light!

Birds are covered with dust, and are much dirtier than you can imagine. When they slam against the window, flying recklessly in the backyard -- blathering "Where's my babies? Where's my babies?" -- they leave a "dust mark." What I like to call the pigeon poltergeist. Have you seen one?

Here is a photograph of one that slammed my backyard window. It's amazing the detail that the dust imprint left ont he glass. It happens about three or four times a summer. (Probably the same bird falling in love with it's own image, maybe.) The "bird dust" was on the window in a detailed image of the bird.