Can anyone help me identify this strange bird that my flock befriended today?
Can anyone help me identify this strange bird that my flock befriended today?
My flock befriended this strange white bird today. It's the large one in the background of the attached pictures. It's the size of a small turkey, grey and white, with a prominent crest. It ate some scratch with my girls, then ate some wild blackberries, and departed into the woods.
We're in upstate NY. I've never seen a bird like this before. It almost looks like a peacock but, again, it's white and we are in upstate NY.
The girls liked her, she seemed harmless - they usually lose their shit if even a little sparrow tries to snag some scratch. They alert me to turkeys and deer regularly but didn't mind this stranger at all.
Can anyone help me identify this bird?
I thought peacock straight away - it has that body shape and crest. Maybe an albino peahen? I've seen a white peacock before, but not a peahen. Rarer, according to this site: https://www.treehugger.com/albino-and-half-albino-peacocks-are-simply-stunning-photos-4858413
Oh, I hadn't thought that peafowl could be white but of course that makes sense. She wouldn't be wild then, someone must be missing their pet! I wish I had tried harder to get close to her, these seem to be expensive birds and I don't think she'll fare well here. Our woods are riddled with predators...
I'll ask around with the neighbors and take a walk to look for her before it gets too dark.
I think it's an albino peahen also. Was looking for pictures and weirdly enough Martha Stewart had a good lookalike..
Looks maybe like a pheasant?
I had thought it might be at first glance too, but it's neck is much longer and the crest it's very peacock like... Like little circles on sticks. It's a gorgeous bird.