bird ID help needed (1 Viewer)

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fred48104

New member

• Sep 14, 2003

• #1

Greetings. I snapped a picture of this chicken-like bird in my back yard here in Ann Arbor, Michigan, US. I couldn't find anything close to it in my book (The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds, Eastern Region). It has short tail feathers. It struck me as the size of a small chicken.
It was walking around in my yard pecking the ground. When a squirrel startled it it flew up onto a garage roof in a noisey flapping of its wings.
If I could speculate, I'd say it seemed confused, or out of its element. The way it approached my back door made me think it might be someone's escaped pet.
Thanks very much. -Fred

 

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fred48104

New member

• Sep 14, 2003

• #2

Sorry. I intended to attach a picture. I'll try agian.

 

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SteveClark

Well-known member

• Sep 14, 2003

• #3

Chukar (Alectoris chucar)? Introduced from Europe.

Cheers

Steve

 

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fred48104

New member

• Sep 14, 2003

• #4

Chukar it is. Thanks Steve.
Never even heard the name before. From what I found on the web without trying very hard, it must be a refugee from some breeding operation. Or could there be a wild population here in southern Michigan?

-Fred

 

Larry Lade

Moderator

• Sep 14, 2003

• #5

Hi Fred,

Welcome to the Forum! There are a lot of good people who can give you much information concerning birding issues who subscribe to this forum.

The Chukar is probably an escapee from a game bird farm somewhere in your area. It is a bird which would occur in the wild in the western US.

I once found one sitting on eggs under a small evergreen tree in someone's yard here in Saint Joseph. It too was an escapee!

Good Birding,

Larry

 

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Sumit

Well-known member

• Sep 14, 2003

• #6

The Chukar (Alectoris chukar) is an asian bird introduced in the United States as a game bird. In India (part of its natural range), it is found in dry high altitude ranges of the western Himalayas (2000-4000 meters) and the range stretches westwards through Pakistan and adjoining countries.
Sumit

 

Last edited: Sep 14, 2003

IanF

Moderator

• Sep 14, 2003

• #7

Hi Fred,

Looks like our members got that one sorted pretty quickly for you.

On behalf of Admin and the Moderators, I'd like to welcome you to Bird Forum :t:

 

safariranger

Well-known member

• Sep 14, 2003

• #8

Hi Fred,

Just a bit of useless information. We have a small feral population on Robben Island off the coast from Cape Town. They seem to be doing well on the island. About 500 birds were introduced to the island in 1971.

Unlike most people who go to the island to visit Nelson Mandela's prison cell, I went to try and get a look at a Chukar. Was unlucky though and will have to go back again sometime.

Welcome to a great site!!:clap: