Which bird has my dad been seeing?

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

Definitely a baby robin, or a hoopo.

a bloody galah 😀

Speckled?

Crest?

Smaller than a pigeon?

Must be a black cockatoo (or baby robin).

Cockoo?

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?

Spotted Woodpecker from size, markings and crest.

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

Is this really singletrack if no-one suggested it is an AM9?

Wow I thought this thread was about to be about your father having an affair.

Pleasantly suprised and relieved. 🙂

this site might be useful

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

Louise?

Dammit, beaten by a minute to the obvious answer of louise

Although Louise was ruled out in the OP…

I’ll go for a cuckoo given the description. Either that or a Great crested thrunchwarbler.

24 mins, graham, in the list of things it’s not!

Dad can see women if he likes, him and mum have been separated for 24 years!

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!

Although Louise was ruled out in the OP…

Never rule Louise out….. she’s cunning.

wow, I’d imagine that’s quite rare. is he in the UK?

Quails are ace and dead cute. They make sweet little chirrup noises as they walk around.

Yup! Near Reading. So if anyone’s lost a california quail, and you’re upwind of Pangbourne, I’ll put you in touch!

is he allowed to eat it?

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

Quails are the new hens.

Show us the pic then:)

Sure it’s not a lapwing?

Wonder if it would beat a partridge in a fair fight?

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.

True Matt,Alan can be very quick.

Anything to do with these guys just up the road…

https://bealepark.org.uk/

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?

2.8 metres tip to tail

Must be a Sea Eagle you have there Dez 🙂

that wood looks like a crocodile about to snap it up for lunch

not many birds get to 2.8 metres tip to tail. Sea Eagle, one of the vultures perhaps, but that’s wingtip to wingtip…

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 😀 )

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.

Bad transcription. he said smaller than a pigeon, I asked “tubby like a pigeon or slimmer like a wagtail, he said “more tubby”.

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,

the only bird that might get close to 2.8mtr is a peacock, including it’s tail!

Susan from no 14?