Strange bird. ideas?

stooge

Got a call from the OH at lunch saying that there was a strange bird in the garden. She described it as huge, black, red beak, short legs and a short tail.

First thoughts were a moorhen, but when I showed her a photo she said it looked similiar but was way too big and had much shorter legs than a moorhen. No photos unfortunately, but she described it as 'about 5/6 times the size of a large crow''. :pac:

any ideas?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

If not a moorhen then the only other black bird with a red beak I can think of is a chough. However it is the size of a crow. 5 or 6 times the size of a large crow is very big for an Irish bird.

Was the beak pointed? Could it have been some sort of domesticed goose?

stooge

After she ruled out moorhen I thought turkey, but she said it had a distinctive sound like squawk type noise. That would probably rule out a turkey. Goose could be an option too but dont know of any nearby.

Saruman

Oystercatcher?

stooge

Showed her a picture of a black grouse and she said that's what it was.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_grouse

I didn't think we had black grouse in ireland??

V_Moth

stooge wrote: »

Showed her a picture of a black grouse and she said that's what it was.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_grouse

I didn't think we had black grouse in ireland??

No, we don't. There is a chance it might be some other species of gamebird that has escaped or was released, but I wouldn't even hazard a guess based on the initial description though.

stooge

V_Moth wrote: »

No, we don't. There is a chance it might be some other species of gamebird that has escaped or was released, but I wouldn't even hazard a guess based on the initial description though.

Just back home and going through pictures of birds on google. OH is adamant that it was a grouse after seeing the picture. Judging by the size she describes it also seems to fit (bigger than a chicken but less than a big turkey!) There are a couple of hunting clubs nearby but to my knowledge they only release partridges. The mystery continues :-)

Hoping that it comes back so I can get a photo! Thanks for the suggestions!

stooge

Saruman wrote: »

Oystercatcher?

No, she's sure it wasn't that. Too small a body and too large a beak.

Eddie B

What about a black feral or homeing pidgeon, or more likely à melanistic pheasant missing it's tail feathers!

stooge

That's a great shout actually! And a more likely candidate than a grouse. Plenty of common pheasants around here. She said it had a bit of a pokey out tail rather than the fluffy white of a grouse too.

Pat_Planky

Dodo?...

soupdragon

How about one of the weird fancy pheasants?
black pheasant and red on the wattles?

recedite

They have a few Capercaillies over in Scotland too, in the Cairngorms. Seeing as they and the black grouse used to live in Ireland before they were all shot, its not inconceivable that one or the other could fly over on an easterly breeze. Or maybe somebody hatched some eggs and released them. Capercaillie is a big chunky bird, but much more rare than the black grouse. From the Gaelic "capall na coille" or "horse of the woods".

veetwin

Chough?

http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/OurWork/ResearchSurveys/Choughs/tabid/122/Default.aspx

keith16

Cormorant?

Eddie B

recedite wrote: »

They have a few Capercaillies over in Scotland too, in the Cairngorms. Seeing as they and the black grouse used to live in Ireland before they were all shot, its not inconceivable that one or the other could fly over on an easterly breeze. Or maybe somebody hatched some eggs and released them. Capercaillie is a big chunky bird, but much more rare than the black grouse. From the Gaelic "capall na coille" or "horse of the woods".

It actually is inconceivable!

Capercaille

Eddie B wrote: »

It actually is inconceivable!

x2 Both birds are resident and do not migrate. Virtually impossible for them to turn up in Ireland. Both Capercaillie/Black Grouse are not reared artificially for game shooting unlike pheasant/partridge, therefore the chances of them being released is almost nil.

recedite

Capercaille wrote: »

..Virtually impossible for them to turn up in Ireland. Both Capercaillie/Black Grouse are not reared artificially for game shooting unlike pheasant/partridge, therefore the chances of them being released is almost nil...

So you're saying there is a chance then.

Capercaille

recedite wrote: »

So you're saying there is a chance then.

I retract my statement. No chance.