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which birds are edible?

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  • 11-04-2015 9:58pm
    #1
    Highnoon
    Registered Users Posts: 132 ✭✭


    Plenty of pigeons around the place (for now at least) but was wondering are all our feathered friends culinary equals? Have read something about magpies etc or carrion birds not being a great choice. Partly because they don't taste great and also because it seems that carrion birds (or corvids as I think they are known) contain hook worms etc. Anyway have never killed and eaten birds (not even sure if it's legal in Ireland) but was wondering who has
    and what was their experience?


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    #2
    Pat Mustard
    Registered Users Posts: 9,554 ✭✭✭Pat Mustard


    Partridge, pheasant.


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    #3
    pullandbang
    Hosted Moderators Posts: 4,948 ✭✭✭pullandbang


    Pat Mustard wrote: »
    Partridge, pheasant.

    They're both game birds and as such they have a season as do woodpigeon, ducks, geese, grouse, snipe, woodcock etc. It's illegal to kill them outside their respective seasons. However you can kill pigeons if they are causing damage to standing crops - and they are very tasty to eat. Can't say I'd be tempted to eat any of the Corvids but apparently they eat them quite a lot in Denmark.


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    #4
    sheesh
    Registered Users Posts: 4,080 ✭✭✭sheesh


    the Romans used to eat larks tongues any of the small song birds would be eaten too mainly because they were easy to catch I'd imagine.

    I'd say any of the seed eating birds would be tasty enough.


    Obviously only in a survival situation as they are protected!


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    #5
    uch
    Registered Users Posts: 7,008 ✭✭✭uch


    Rook pie used to be popular in the North of England

    21/25



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    #6
    thehippychippy
    Registered Users Posts: 220 ✭✭thehippychippy


    I shot my first pigeon just before Christmas, was still in season. Diced up the breaststroke and fried with some garlic butter. Gorgeous.


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    #7
    rookman
    Registered Users Posts: 26 ✭rookman


    You can eat most birds but as with most wild game its best to cook well also curry powder/spices never go amiss.


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    #8
    Fiskar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,599 ✭✭✭Fiskar


    rookman wrote: »
    You can eat most birds but as with most wild game its best to cook well also curry powder/spices never go amiss.

    hope you are not suggesting the fair seagull is in our takeaways :D


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    #9
    davycc
    Registered Users Posts: 9,019 ✭✭✭davycc


    Fiskar wrote: »
    hope you are not suggesting the fair seagull is in our takeaways :D

    well horsemeat was you never know about the gulls:D


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    #10
    Superdaddy
    Registered Users Posts: 234 ✭✭Superdaddy


    rookman wrote: »
    You can eat most birds but as with most wild game its best to cook well also curry powder/spices never go amiss.

    I cook duck and pigeon breasts rare on the pan like a steak. Well done game is very dry and tough. If you want it well done then slow cook it and keep it moist. I do this with pheasant, rabbit and the tougher cuts of venison. Up to 10hrs at 90-100c.


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    #11
    yellowlabrador
    Registered Users Posts: 1,176 ✭✭✭yellowlabrador


    We shoot pigeons fora farmer. Only eat thewood pigeons, I wouldn't touch the feral pigeons, they are flying rats .


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    #12
    rookman
    Registered Users Posts: 26 ✭rookman


    Superdaddy wrote: »
    I cook duck and pigeon breasts rare on the pan like a steak. Well done game is very dry and tough. If you want it well done then slow cook it and keep it moist. I do this with pheasant, rabbit and the tougher cuts of venison. Up to 10hrs at 90-100c.

    I suppose it depends on taste any meat either from shooting or shop i will always cook it well as i cannot stand pink meat BUT i know what you mean with slow oven cook.


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    #13
    Superdaddy
    Registered Users Posts: 234 ✭✭Superdaddy


    rookman wrote: »
    I suppose it depends on taste any meat either from shooting or shop i will always cook it well as i cannot stand pink meat BUT i know what you mean with slow oven cook.
    In your previous post you said
    rookman wrote: »
    as with most wild game its best to cook well also curry powder/spices never go amiss.
    That comment is untrue. If you don't like the idea of juicy red meat and the taste of meat then fair enough go ahead and burn it and mask the meat flavour with curry, but it's not the best way to eat wild game.
    I dare say most people that order meat well done do so based on the sight of blood on the plate or the untrue notion that it is unsafe. But if it came down to a blindfold test the rare to medium would win on taste and texture. Many chefs wouldn't serve well done game.


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    #14
    rookman
    Registered Users Posts: 26 ✭rookman


    Superdaddy wrote: »
    In your previous post you said
    That comment is untrue. If you don't like the idea of juicy red meat and the taste of meat then fair enough go ahead and burn it and mask the meat flavour with curry, but it's not the best way to eat wild game.
    I dare say most people that order meat well done do so based on the sight of blood on the plate or the untrue notion that it is unsafe. But if it came down to a blindfold test the rare to medium would win on taste and texture. Many chefs wouldn't serve well done game.
    Sorry i did not mean to comment with something that was was untrue.I have being shooting/fishing for last thirty years and always well cooked anything i got.I have never had game from a restaurant so i would not know. Once again i am really sorry for saying something that could be dangerous to people.


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    #15
    filbert the fox
    Registered Users Posts: 809 ✭✭✭filbert the fox


    Highnoon wrote: »
    Plenty of pigeons around the place (for now at least) but was wondering are all our feathered friends culinary equals? Have read something about magpies etc or carrion birds not being a great choice. Partly because they don't taste great and also because it seems that carrion birds (or corvids as I think they are known) contain hook worms etc. Anyway have never killed and eaten birds (not even sure if it's legal in Ireland) but was wondering who has
    and what was their experience?

    Turkey is nice at Christmas and chicken the rest of the year. Only joking, you can of course have Turkey anytime!


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    #16
    Kevhog1988
    Registered Users Posts: 3,960 ✭✭✭Kevhog1988


    anyone ever eaten a canadian goose??


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    #17
    Feisar
    Registered Users Posts: 6,606 ✭✭✭Feisar


    Blackbirds were popular during the famine.

    First they came for the socialists...



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    #18
    Geniass
    Closed Accounts Posts: 643 ✭✭✭Geniass


    Feisar wrote: »
    Blackbirds were popular during the famine.



    Pretty safe to assume EVERYTHING one could get their hands on was poplular during the famine. One could say it was Fair Game! :)


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    #19
    aaakev
    Registered Users Posts: 3,088 ✭✭✭aaakev


    iv often shot a few pigeons when out and about and fried the breasts up an hour or so after the bird was killed, great tasting meat


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    #20
    Kevhog1988
    Registered Users Posts: 3,960 ✭✭✭Kevhog1988


    Im here in manchester abd the place is littered with canadian geese. Would a head shot from an air rifle take one down?


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    #21
    aaakev
    Registered Users Posts: 3,088 ✭✭✭aaakev


    theemigrant wrote: »
    Im here in manchester abd the place is littered with canadian geese. Would a head shot from an air rifle take one down?

    It certainly would but i wouldn't risk it, too much room for error with headshots never mind headshots on a bird! plus they will most definitely have a season and certain restrictions on the method allowed to hunt them. You could find yourself in court if you get caught


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