gthang
Ford Focus Fanatic: mmmmmm... 3.1415926535.....
In the local newspaper today, front page headline "Surprise Visitor" screamed out at me. The photo accompanying the article showed a colorful bird walking in some grass.
Turns out the bird is a Golden Pheasant, a bird native to China. The homeowner and local wildlife experts have no idea where it came from. Two hunting experts say that golden pheasants are not stocked at local game preserves.
It has been at the property for several weeks, and is still there.
Is there any way to tell if this could be a wild bird?
There's no bands on its legs (kind of like dog tags). And the bird has not been reported missing by anyone missing a pet.
BTW, a google image search for the bird yielded a bunch of pictures, some nearly identical to the bird in the paper. What is the nominate subspecies plumage? The bird in the paper has a red body, yellow head, streaked ear patches, green on the upper back, blue on the wings, and a speckled tail.
Turns out the bird is a Golden Pheasant, a bird native to China. The homeowner and local wildlife experts have no idea where it came from. Two hunting experts say that golden pheasants are not stocked at local game preserves.
It has been at the property for several weeks, and is still there.
Is there any way to tell if this could be a wild bird?
There's no bands on its legs (kind of like dog tags). And the bird has not been reported missing by anyone missing a pet.
BTW, a google image search for the bird yielded a bunch of pictures, some nearly identical to the bird in the paper. What is the nominate subspecies plumage? The bird in the paper has a red body, yellow head, streaked ear patches, green on the upper back, blue on the wings, and a speckled tail.