Do you know what this bird is - I have looked and can't figure it out.
Mac wrote:
Maybe a Muscovy Duck?
Thank you for the harty laugh. It is a bird, tho, so you were in the right area
Cwilson341 wrote:
This is a poor quality shot but I was in a vehicle when we encountered a flock of wild turkeys half a block from our house. Along with the turkeys there were two or three of the birds shown below. They were about the size of a large chicken and the body shape reminded me of grouse or quail. I have never seen anything like them as far as I can recall. They were very shy and I couldn't get out of the vehicle without spooking them. The whole flock had gone over this gate and then proceeded to come back onto the road and move on.
This is a poor quality shot but I was in a vehicle... (
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They often go feral. Hens multi brood young. Three or four or more hens will take charge of dozens of chicks. They will attack you if they perceive a threat. Groups of a few dozen roam the Eastern shore of Maryland.
At home with the local fauna.
Bill
bnsf wrote:
Dinner for my cat.
If you see a cat stalk a Guinea fowl, put your money on the bird. These are very aggressive and can handle themselves. And they are rarely alone.
Better than watch dogs by far.
Bill
I think it is a male Prairie-Chicken
Guinea fowl. They make good 'watch dogs'. If someone comes on your place in the night, they will raise an unbelievable ruckus, alerting you to the presence of a strange person or animal trespassing. The good part is they don't bite, so you don't end up in court being sued by a criminal who gets bitten by a dog. They are also excellent for controlling ticks on your property, and they are good at avoiding predators that would like to feast on them. At night they will go to the top of a tree, and if there is a limb as big as your little finger, every guinea in the flock will be there. That was hyperbole, but hopefully you see the point.
Sam9987 wrote:
I think it is a male Prairie-Chicken
Would that be the greater, or the lesser?
From what field guide did you draw this conclusion?
Did you read the whole post, from the picture to the end?
Just curious. This is a bit closer than Muscovy duck, tho.
And closer to correct(tho not much).
Bill
Best watchdog you can find. Raise hell when anything is around.
Coytes, hawk and large owls are tough on them in the open.
They are good, taste like chicken. LOL.
I used pics from a search on the internet. At first I thought that it was either a pheasant of some kind or a similar bird, found the pheasant and decided it missed the mark, however, after looking a bit more I found the pics for the lesser prairie chicken as well as the greater prairie chicken. The males look an awful lot like your photo. Though their normal stomping grounds do not include Florida, the changes in weather may have contributed to your sighting. The pics I found were all side shots rather than front shots so I still have a question or two, however, they seem to be awfully close to me. Great find and good catch, they do spook quite easily. Hope this helps.
lesser prairie chicken endangered species
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Greater_Prairie-Chicken/idhttps://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Lesser_Prairie-Chicken/id
I thought I knew what it was, a Chukar, but after comparing photos, nope. Sorry. It is always great to see animals in their own habitat. Losing it by the day.
Sam9987 wrote:
I used pics from a search on the internet. At first I thought that it was either a pheasant of some kind or a similar bird, found the pheasant and decided it missed the mark, however, after looking a bit more I found the pics for the lesser prairie chicken as well as the greater prairie chicken. The males look an awful lot like your photo. Though their normal stomping grounds do not include Florida, the changes in weather may have contributed to your sighting. The pics I found were all side shots rather than front shots so I still have a question or two, however, they seem to be awfully close to me. Great find and good catch, they do spook quite easily. Hope this helps.
lesser prairie chicken endangered species
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Greater_Prairie-Chicken/idhttps://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Lesser_Prairie-Chicken/idI used pics from a search on the internet. At fir... (
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Thank you for your efforts, Sam. I checked out your links and there are definitely similarities but I believe the Guinea identification is accurate. The Prarie Chicken does not have wattles like these birds had and they are also missing the crest.
flathead27ford wrote:
I thought I knew what it was, a Chukar, but after comparing photos, nope. Sorry. It is always great to see animals in their own habitat. Losing it by the day.
You shared information which I found interesting. I'd never heard of a Chukar but I looked it up and learned something-a good way to start the day.
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