Unknown galliform? Lower Klamath Wildlife Refuge, N. California, US (1 Viewer)

[BombustheParrot]

Hello! I was birding Lower Klamath Wildlife Refuge this morning, and I couldn't figure out what these guys were. One at first flushed from a low tree and sat on the bank watching me - the blurry picture was the best I could get through the car window, but it shows the profile, tail, etc. It ran to a tree-line farther back, and after staking it out for a bit, I realized there were 3 individuals running along the ground back there. Again, the zoomed in picture was the best I could capture. They seemed to look and act gallinaceous, but I can't tell if I'm on the right track as it doesn't match what I think should be in the area. Sometimes they were giving me more of a dove-vibe, too, but again, they don't match a Mourning or Eurasian-collared, and I don't think of doves scurrying like pheasants in the brush.

Looking forward to advice, and thank you for looking!

 

[Butty]

Plausibly pheasants.

 

[Mike Earp]

Plausibly pheasants.

I'd say definitely female Ring-necked Pheasant based on white below eye. See e.g.

 

[Butty]

Does nothing else have that?

 

[THE_FERN]

I'd say definitely female Ring-necked Pheasant based on white below eye. See e.g.

I don't know how consistent that feature is, but agree these are female "ring-necked" (or whatever if you accept splits) pheasants. A leaf through Sibley suggests no other pale buff, phaesant-shaped phaesant-type things

 

[Mike Earp]

Does nothing else have that?

Not in range. I hesitate to say not at all as I think the character is shared with e.g. Japanese/Green Pheasant.

 

[Butty]

Japanese/Green Pheasant

Same species/superspecies/whatever anyway, depending on your taxonomic preferences - and, in domestic stock, presumably so well hybridized with common pheasant as to be unrecognizable in photos like this.

 

[BombustheParrot]

Thanks for the help all, I was definitely keyed in on the white, but wasn't making that connection! Appreciate it!