What is this bird?

[Auntie Helen]

It's a pheasant (apparently) and had the usual pheasant lack of brains. But its colouring is very different and I couldn't find it on the RSPB's 'Bird Identifier' website. Does anyone know? He was a rather handsome chappie!

 

[Landslide]

Certainly looks like a pheasant. Maybe just a bit of variation in plumage?

 

[Wigsie]

Yes it is a pheasant, they can vary quite dramatically with colouration sometimes as they mature although it is rare.

Still mighty tasty!

 

[numbnuts]

although it is rare.

I've seen loads of black pheasant in my area

 

[Auntie Helen]

It was such a beautiful deep green colour in its body. We have zillions of normal pheasants around here but this one was so striking. And dim enough to let a predator-type woman on a predatory-looking bike stop fairly near, rummage around in her panniers for a camera and then photograph it before it sauntered off.

 

[Dave5N]

You'll be needing a pheasant plucker...

 

[Over The Hill]

...or his son

 

[Saddle bum]

Snitched this from a forum on the subject:

Had my pheasant supplier ring the farmer today to confirm our 120 poults for this coming season, hes going to give us 60 ringneck and 60 melanistic's, but he says he can offer us 1st cross americans, old english black necks or pure michigans aswell.

Certain variants are best suited to large estates as they do wonder far and wide, others do not drift much at all.

 

[Amanda P]

Keepers used to avoid letting anyone shoot melanistic black pheasants, because they could tell 'em apart from all the regular ones.

Just at the moment, there's a fashion among keepers and shooting estates to buy in and release lots of very dark breeds.

These dark ones are still Phasianus colchicus though.

 

[Wigsie]

I've seen loads of black pheasant in my area

Must be the soild in the Hampshire area.

 

[Speicher]

Uncle Phil, slightly off topic. He looks a similar colour to a peacock, but without the long tail feathers. At what age would a young peacock grow his very long tail feathers, do they mature before growing them?

Also some one told me that if you see a peacock with its feathers in full display, it is because he is upset and displaying his superiority, therefore it is not a good idea to get too close to him, is that correct?

 

[Amanda P]

Hmm, you've got me there - I don't know when a peacock grows his big feathers. But I would guess in his first late summer/autumn (that's when most birds moult). I'll ask my duck-farming mate - he's got a couple of peacocks.

There are lots of myths concerning biggish birds and their aggression or ability to damage people. I've handled a fair few swans and geese, which are about as big and aggressive as they come (short of ostriches), and never suffered worse than the odd bruise.

It might be true that a swan could break your arm, but it's unlikely - it would have to strike just right, and catch you in an awkward position. Peacocks look quite big and intimidating, but in reality it's all just feathers and swagger (just like with swans) - it's not actually going to do much worse than inflict a few scratches at worst.

 

[marinyork]

In my bird book it has it down as one of the variants of the common pheasant. I think they are in the minority but I have seen dark pheasants. I like how you got the Pheasant framed in the middle of the photograph.

 

[Arch]

Also some one told me that if you see a peacock with its feathers in full display, it is because he is upset and displaying his superiority, therefore it is not a good idea to get too close to him, is that correct?

I'd have thought the best thing to do is stand and laugh at him for being one of the most useless birds in the world. I've heard that in their native India, they perch on low branches, and tigers come along and pull them off by their tails....

 

[Amanda P]

He looks a similar colour to a peacock, but without the long tail feathers.

Your bird is definitely a pheasant.

Also some one told me that if you see a peacock with its feathers in full display, it is because he is upset and displaying his superiority, therefore it is not a good idea to get too close to him, is that correct?

I've checked with the Duck Man. He tells me that peacocks aren't particularly aggressive, and that their displaying is pure sex, no aggression.

I also learned that they are sex mad, and will attempt to rape any brown bird of about the right size.

One of my colleagues used to keep a buzzard. There was a feral peacock roaming around his village at the time, and he told me how one afternoon he set the buzzard up on her bow perch on the lawn in the sunshine. He heard squawking and flapping and came out to find the buzzard being sexually harassed by the determined peacock. The buzzard took several hours to calm down, apparently. The peacock survived, but was later reported attempting to rape chickens in other parts of the village. There were even rumours about ducks.

Oh, and the Duck Man's white peacock has gone wandering off (looking for birds to seduce, no doubt). So if anyone around York-ish sees a white peacock in a place where you don't usually see one (and that's most places, really), please let me know.