Carless
Well-known member
Hi all. Once again I've had a good look at some birds, assumed that I'd be able to easily identify them, and found it not so easy.
OK, I'm cycling through a park, and I see a group of 5-6 medium sized ground birds. At first I thought they were female mallards, but getting closer, I saw that they were a grouse-type bird.
At first I thought they weren't pheasants as they were slightly smaller. While most of them appeared to be a female pheasant brown. But one or two of them had some black and a few red feathers. They didn't have a longer tail.
The birds walked with an unusual posture, which I thought would be distinctive. They walked "tall" on their legs with their beaks and heads pointed up. When I've seen pheasants, they've been closer to the ground. Do they adapt their posture when in longer plants in a marshy area.
I've got the RSPB's "Complete Birds of Britain and Europe" (or similar title) beside me. Looking through, the birds looked like either female black grouse, or female pheasants. The birds with the "male"-ish coloured feathers didn't have extended tail feathers, which sort of rules out everything. I think they were too big to be grey partridge.
Looking through the book, I can't find any better match than pheasants. Perhaps black or red grouse, but I don't think either are found around Leicester in the UK.
Did I just see some young pheasants that weren't full sized? And where the males had some more coloured feathers, but hadn't yet fully coloured up or grown longer feathers? Can't see what else they might have been.
OK, I'm cycling through a park, and I see a group of 5-6 medium sized ground birds. At first I thought they were female mallards, but getting closer, I saw that they were a grouse-type bird.
At first I thought they weren't pheasants as they were slightly smaller. While most of them appeared to be a female pheasant brown. But one or two of them had some black and a few red feathers. They didn't have a longer tail.
The birds walked with an unusual posture, which I thought would be distinctive. They walked "tall" on their legs with their beaks and heads pointed up. When I've seen pheasants, they've been closer to the ground. Do they adapt their posture when in longer plants in a marshy area.
I've got the RSPB's "Complete Birds of Britain and Europe" (or similar title) beside me. Looking through, the birds looked like either female black grouse, or female pheasants. The birds with the "male"-ish coloured feathers didn't have extended tail feathers, which sort of rules out everything. I think they were too big to be grey partridge.
Looking through the book, I can't find any better match than pheasants. Perhaps black or red grouse, but I don't think either are found around Leicester in the UK.
Did I just see some young pheasants that weren't full sized? And where the males had some more coloured feathers, but hadn't yet fully coloured up or grown longer feathers? Can't see what else they might have been.
