strange birds

ZX7R

i saw 6 birds today while out on my bike today near suncroft co kildare,they looked like female black grouse,my question is could it have been this bird are they even wild in Ireland ,or what bird could it have been

anthonyos

http://www.gobirding.eu/Images/Geese/BlackBrant/Black%20Brant,%20Wells,%2026-Feb-07%20(A5)%20L.JPG did they look like this

ZX7R

anthonyos wrote: »

http://www.gobirding.eu/Images/Geese/BlackBrant/Black%20Brant,%20Wells,%2026-Feb-07%20(A5)%20L.JPG did they look like this

I am afraid not anthonyos, i googled many pictures of game birds as i taught it might be a different type of pheasant the closest match i could find was the female black grouse the plumage i saw was a match but the body i saw on the birds i was larger and more rounded ,they were only feet away from me

anthonyos

sorry i miss read your op thought you said goose:o

swifts need our help!

Melanistic pheasants?

Mark

V_Moth

Black Grouse doesn't occur in Ireland (and favour heather moorland in their native ranges). Could the birds you saw have been Grey Partridges by any chance?

ZX7R

V_Moth wrote: »

Black Grouse doesn't occur in Ireland (and favour heather moorland in their native ranges). Could the birds you saw have been Grey Partridges by any chance?

After googleing both the melanistic phesent sugested by mark and grey partridge ,they deffently look like grey partidge but a fatter belly,are these common in Ireland

cuddlycavies

Grouse?

V Bull

ZX7R wrote: »

After googleing both the melanistic phesent sugested by mark and grey partridge ,they deffently look like grey partidge but a fatter belly,are these common in Ireland

The Grey Partridge is not so common, there are 2 breeding areas set up to try and reintroduce them, one in North Dublin and the other in Offaly that I know of, both programs are doing well by all accounts...

A couple of photos for you...



A not so healthy juvenile..

V_Moth

ZX7R wrote: »

After googleing both the melanistic phesent sugested by mark and grey partridge ,they deffently look like grey partidge but a fatter belly,are these common in Ireland
.

Birds can fluff up their feathers in cold weather, making them look quite a bit larger. Considering how tame you said the birds were, I think these were probably birds released nearby for hunting.

Tiercel Dave

Could they have been Red Legged Partridge? They would be released for shooting. Dave
http://www.google.ie/imgres?q=red+leg+partridge&num=10&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1024&bih=499&tbm=isch&tbnid=rjqNFa784UdtlM:&imgrefurl=http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/pictures/showphoto.php/photo/25143&docid=x2mIl05CsuyyUM&imgurl=http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/pictures/data/5/Red-leggedPartridge1279.jpg&w=800&h=600&ei=6_nAUI3nPMrJhAfi1oCAAg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=672&vpy=4&dur=833&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=129&ty=70&sig=114549479910554576893&page=2&tbnh=132&tbnw=169&start=11&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:20,s:0,i:146