Which bird has my d...
 

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[Closed] Which bird has my dad been seeing?

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My dad's been seeing some bird.

He's attempted to describe it on the family whatsapp. Anyone else want to play?

- Appears at his front door, but not long enough for him to get a photo.
- smaller than a pidgeon, but a similar shape. small head.
- Dark Grey, with speckles of white. speckles are more dashes than dots.
- Has a crest on its head.

It's not:
a heron
a guineafowl
a norwegian blue
Louise
a wagtail

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 1:10 pm
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Definitely a baby robin, or a hoopo.

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 1:16 pm
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a bloody galah 😀

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 1:16 pm
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Speckled?

Crest?

Smaller than a pigeon?

Must be a black cockatoo (or baby robin).

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 1:18 pm
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Cockoo?

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 1:18 pm
 nbt
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Similar shape to a pigeon but smaller suggests Stock Dove or Collared Dove, but neither have a speckled chest. That bit suggests a thrush to be honest. What kind of location is the house in?

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 1:23 pm
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Spotted Woodpecker from size, markings and crest.

Best guess only though. Surprised no mention of orange/red at the back end.

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 1:24 pm
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Is this really singletrack if no-one suggested it is an AM9?

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 1:29 pm
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Wow I thought this thread was about to be about your father having an affair.

Pleasantly suprised and relieved. 🙂

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 1:29 pm
 nbt
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this site might be useful

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/identify-a-bird/

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 1:30 pm
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Louise?

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 1:32 pm
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Dammit, beaten by a minute to the obvious answer of louise

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 1:33 pm
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Although Louise was ruled out in the OP...

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 1:35 pm
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I’ll go for a cuckoo given the description. Either that or a Great crested thrunchwarbler.

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 1:35 pm
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24 mins, graham, in the list of things it's not!

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 1:35 pm
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Dad can see women if he likes, him and mum have been separated for 24 years!

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 1:36 pm
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he did manage to grab a rubbish pic.

Turns out it's a California quail!

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/California_Quail/overview

Not surprised now that we weren't able make much progress on british garden birds ID pages!

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 1:37 pm
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Although Louise was ruled out in the OP…

Never rule Louise out..... she's cunning.

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 1:38 pm
 nbt
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wow, I'd imagine that's quite rare. is he in the UK?

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 1:39 pm
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Quails are ace and dead cute. They make sweet little chirrup noises as they walk around.

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 1:41 pm
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Yup! Near Reading. So if anyone's lost a california quail, and you're upwind of Pangbourne, I'll put you in touch!

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 1:43 pm
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is he allowed to eat it?

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 2:04 pm
 nbt
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quick google to see if it's reported as a rarity suggests there's a breeder in the area
https://www.pets4homes.co.uk/classifieds/3224067-california-quail-day-old-chicks-reading.html

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 2:08 pm
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Quails are the new hens.

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 2:09 pm
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Show us the pic then:)

Sure it's not a lapwing?

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 2:11 pm
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Wonder if it would beat a partridge in a fair fight?

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 2:12 pm
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Wonder if it would beat a partridge in a fair fight?

With the turn of speed partridges seem to have at times, it won't be a fair fight.

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 2:17 pm
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True Matt,Alan can be very quick.

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 2:24 pm
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Anything to do with these guys just up the road...

https://bealepark.org.uk/

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 2:27 pm
 DezB
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My brother had a bird yesterday.
I jokingly guessed at an escaped canary, which then seemed to match pics on the web. Apart from it's size... seems too big for a canary ([edit]2.8 metres tip to tail)- what's this beast then?

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 2:39 pm
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2.8 metres tip to tail

Must be a Sea Eagle you have there Dez 🙂

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 2:44 pm
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that wood looks like a crocodile about to snap it up for lunch

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 2:47 pm
 nbt
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not many birds get to 2.8 metres tip to tail. Sea Eagle, one of the vultures perhaps, but that's wingtip to wingtip...

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 2:53 pm
 DezB
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Must be a Sea Eagle

Hmm, yeah. Maybe an albino one

(I might've been exaggerating the size, cos I don't actually know it 😀 )

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 2:53 pm
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Turns out it’s a California quail!

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/California_Quail/overview

Not surprised now that we weren’t able make much progress on british garden birds ID pages!

Also not surprised seeing that is described as "– smaller than a pidgeon, but a similar shape. small head."
It is nothing like a pidgeon, much more like a hen.

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 3:10 pm
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Bad transcription. he said smaller than a pigeon, I asked "tubby like a pigeon or slimmer like a wagtail, he said "more tubby".

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 3:15 pm
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With the turn of speed partridges seem to have at times, it won’t be a fair fight.

If posh townies were taking potshots at you, you’d have fair turn of speed!
And that yellow bird is definitely a canary, the only bird that might get close to 2.8mtr is a peacock, including it’s tail!
Canaries are finches, from the Canaries and other islands in Macronesia, about the size of a chaffinch or greenfinch, and they can cross-breed,

 
Posted : 21/05/2021 11:53 pm
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the only bird that might get close to 2.8mtr is a peacock, including it’s tail!

 
Posted : 22/05/2021 7:49 am
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Susan from no 14?

 
Posted : 22/05/2021 8:00 am
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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3ddcHpKwT9s

 
Posted : 22/05/2021 8:56 am
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Some threads the title promises so much... 🙂

 
Posted : 22/05/2021 8:07 pm
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Some threads the title promises so much…

Good point, well made…

 
Posted : 22/05/2021 11:57 pm

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