Sighting in Paris, March 9, 2008

The day after the pictures were taken, an amateur photographer sent the GEIPAN a photo shot from their window in Paris. It was one of a burst of five high-quality photos. The image shows an elliptical, almost round object, dark on its lower part and light on top. It was fairly sharp and looked as if it were lit by the sun.

An investigator based in Paris was put in charge of the case. Once the photos were put back in sequence, particularly numbers 4 and 5, it was clear beyond doubt that a pigeon coming from the witness's left first crossed the frame of photo 4, then dived toward a window and appeared in the frame of photo 5.

The pictures therefore did show a pigeon. Its very round shape and "metallic" look had misled the witness. The case was classified A: the spot on the photo, at first unexplained, was identified.