Author Topic: Can you identify a bird from these feathers?  (Read 1808 times)

Can you identify a bird from these feathers?
« on: 10 June, 2020, 01:00:00 pm »
We had a murder on the lawn which looked like a pigeon from the feathers remaining but the next day these were on the lawn.  Looks like a bird of prey to me, sparrowhawk maybe?  What you lot think?

Feathers by Russell Wiles, on Flickr

Pingu

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Re: Can you identify a bird from these feathers?
« Reply #1 on: 10 June, 2020, 02:47:07 pm »
Looks buzzardy.

Mrs Pingu

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Re: Can you identify a bird from these feathers?
« Reply #3 on: 10 June, 2020, 03:36:59 pm »
I’ve been looking at a few such sites but it’s tricky to get a good match! Some images of tawny owl feathers are as close as anything else, although they have rounded ends and most of the ends are missing from Russell’s image.

There are even some cuckoo feathers that match up quite well.

I’m trying to bear in mind that whatever this was, it was prey.

Re: Can you identify a bird from these feathers?
« Reply #4 on: 10 June, 2020, 03:54:36 pm »
Looks like partridge to me. See a few of those killed round here.
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.

Re: Can you identify a bird from these feathers?
« Reply #5 on: 10 June, 2020, 04:06:51 pm »
Could also be a pheasant but pigeon sized would indicate french partridge.

https://www.featherbase.info/da/species/Phasianus/colchicus
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.

Re: Can you identify a bird from these feathers?
« Reply #6 on: 10 June, 2020, 09:55:31 pm »
I think pheasant.
The curve on the feather shafts is typical of a heavy bird, and red-legged partridge don't have barring (see featherbase)

Andrij

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Re: Can you identify a bird from these feathers?
« Reply #7 on: 11 June, 2020, 12:42:49 am »
Oh, my God! They killed Kenny!
;D  Andrij.  I pronounce you Complete and Utter GIT   :thumbsup:

Re: Can you identify a bird from these feathers?
« Reply #8 on: 11 June, 2020, 09:43:25 am »
pheasant