| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail 11:37 - Mar 7 with 2740 views | Ryorry |
At my bird bath this a.m chipping thru the ice. Very striking, never seen before, large size distinguishes it from anything else that might otherwise fit the description. Similar to, but not a jay due the black head & more rounded shape.
Any birders able to identify it pls? Didn't have my binocs out long enough to get the details of the wing & tail feahers. |  |
| |  |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 11:56 - Mar 7 with 2186 views | ChorleyBoy |
It's unlikely to be a hoopoe if you're in the UK but it's the only thing I can think of that's the size of a pigeon with the colours you describe.
https://www.oiseaux.net/maps/eurasian.hoopoe.html |  | | |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 12:08 - Mar 7 with 2130 views | Ryorry |
I'd just seen that on their website - *very* similar, but aren't they summer rather than winter visitors? Also had a much more rounded shape, like a pigeon or dove. Perhaps it was a particularly fat one?!
Defo not a bullfinch (about twice the size) or a hoopoe (wrong kind of bill, no crest etc.). But thanks all - will try & get photo if it visits again, could happen as hard weather due, I have the fatballs, peanuts & suet block out, & will keep the bath/drinker ice-free. [Post edited 7 Mar 2023 12:13]
| |
| |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 12:24 - Mar 7 with 2047 views | ElephantintheRoom |
Only wild bird that springs to mind is a rosy starling which is a very rare spring visitor - and IF it is that be prepared for twitchers peering in your garden
One thing it could be, as it’s pigeon-sized is a pigeon. There’s a dubious fad for dying them strange colours at ‘events’. |  |
| |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 12:31 - Mar 7 with 2025 views | Ryorry |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 12:24 - Mar 7 by ElephantintheRoom |
Only wild bird that springs to mind is a rosy starling which is a very rare spring visitor - and IF it is that be prepared for twitchers peering in your garden
One thing it could be, as it’s pigeon-sized is a pigeon. There’s a dubious fad for dying them strange colours at ‘events’. |
"There’s a dubious fad for dying them strange colours at ‘events’."
Seriously?! that might actually be the most likely explan if you are, as the shape & size were so definitely 'pigeon' that I thought it must be some kind of turtle dove that I'd never heard of before. | |
| |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 13:59 - Mar 7 with 1854 views | ElephantintheRoom |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 12:31 - Mar 7 by Ryorry |
"There’s a dubious fad for dying them strange colours at ‘events’."
Seriously?! that might actually be the most likely explan if you are, as the shape & size were so definitely 'pigeon' that I thought it must be some kind of turtle dove that I'd never heard of before. |
Honest - it’s true. Out of interest I just googled ‘pink pigeon’. There’s loads - you’ll see one or two with greyish heads - so you can make your mind up if that’s what you saw. . As the perpetrators of the dyed pigeon craze are supposed to use washable dye it may change colour in the rain! | |
| |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 14:10 - Mar 7 with 1831 views | GeoffSentence |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 12:31 - Mar 7 by Ryorry |
"There’s a dubious fad for dying them strange colours at ‘events’."
Seriously?! that might actually be the most likely explan if you are, as the shape & size were so definitely 'pigeon' that I thought it must be some kind of turtle dove that I'd never heard of before. |
Yeah, they do this for one of those american fads - gender reveal parties - they gather everyone round, do normal party stuff then reveal the sex of a soon to be born child by releasing doves dyed either blue or pink. |  |
| |
Login to get fewer ads
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 14:35 - Mar 7 with 1784 views | Ryorry |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 13:59 - Mar 7 by ElephantintheRoom |
Honest - it’s true. Out of interest I just googled ‘pink pigeon’. There’s loads - you’ll see one or two with greyish heads - so you can make your mind up if that’s what you saw. . As the perpetrators of the dyed pigeon craze are supposed to use washable dye it may change colour in the rain! |
Thing is though, unless the colours have faded/merged in rain - and that's unlikely because the black cap was still deep jet with no 'running', & we've had very little precipitation recently in this area - the pink isn't artificial or bright at all, it's more a dun colour well flushed with light pink so that it looks like a 'rosy dun' breast.
I'm veering more towards the Rosy Starling again, one that's wintered so well it's pretty fat ..? Well either that or a giant bullfinch! (markings v. similar, tho beak is a bit longer & sharper, enough to spike through the layer of ice in drinker). | |
| |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 14:45 - Mar 7 with 1770 views | WeWereZombies |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 14:35 - Mar 7 by Ryorry |
Thing is though, unless the colours have faded/merged in rain - and that's unlikely because the black cap was still deep jet with no 'running', & we've had very little precipitation recently in this area - the pink isn't artificial or bright at all, it's more a dun colour well flushed with light pink so that it looks like a 'rosy dun' breast.
I'm veering more towards the Rosy Starling again, one that's wintered so well it's pretty fat ..? Well either that or a giant bullfinch! (markings v. similar, tho beak is a bit longer & sharper, enough to spike through the layer of ice in drinker). |
I don't think it is any of the birds mentioned so far, when I first moved into my house on Skye I had a similar bird in the garden and I never photographed it on the assumption that it would be around all the time. Never seen it since...
At the moment I am in Buenos Aires, a long way from my Collins guide to European birds but I will give my memory a jog when I get back (weather permitting) in a couple of days time. |  |
| |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 14:56 - Mar 7 with 1750 views | GeoffSentence |
I asked ChatGPT to see if that artificial brain box had any smart ideas
based on your description it suggested a rose-breasted grosbeak
https://ebird.org/species/robgro
Which is unlikley, what with that being an american bird. I then told it that it was in the north of england so it suggested Bullfinch or Robin.
Gave up at that point. | |
| |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 14:59 - Mar 7 with 1739 views | Jeff_winger |
Maybe a red backed shrike, used to be more common in UK, but they do get about still |  | | |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 15:01 - Mar 7 with 1734 views | Tangledupin_Blue |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 14:10 - Mar 7 by GeoffSentence |
Yeah, they do this for one of those american fads - gender reveal parties - they gather everyone round, do normal party stuff then reveal the sex of a soon to be born child by releasing doves dyed either blue or pink. |
Ffs. Stop the world; I want to get off. |  |
| |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 15:15 - Mar 7 with 1687 views | Ryorry |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 14:56 - Mar 7 by GeoffSentence |
I asked ChatGPT to see if that artificial brain box had any smart ideas
based on your description it suggested a rose-breasted grosbeak
https://ebird.org/species/robgro
Which is unlikley, what with that being an american bird. I then told it that it was in the north of england so it suggested Bullfinch or Robin.
Gave up at that point. |
Definitely not that, sadly! But fascinating to see all these species I'd never been aware of before, thanks again all ðŸ‘
One fairly defining thing was the beak - not as 'chubby' as finches, more like blackbird shape.
Just posted the query on a birding forum, where one of the photos of a rosy starling from the front in particular with its feathers slightly puffed out, closely matched my sighting. | |
| |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 15:17 - Mar 7 with 1681 views | You_Bloo_Right |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 15:01 - Mar 7 by Tangledupin_Blue |
Ffs. Stop the world; I want to get off. |
OK I've set the "stop-the-world" timer.
All I have to do now is release the doves. What colour do you want them? |  |
| |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 15:18 - Mar 7 with 1676 views | Ryorry |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 15:17 - Mar 7 by You_Bloo_Right |
OK I've set the "stop-the-world" timer.
All I have to do now is release the doves. What colour do you want them? |
Blue & white - what else?!! | |
| |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 15:43 - Mar 7 with 1647 views | Ryorry |
Nope, sorry, nothing like but thanks for trying.
Breast of 'my' bird was totally plain, & it was twice the size of a Redwing. | |
| |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 17:39 - Mar 7 with 1483 views | Chondzoresk |
I’m a birder. You say large. The Rosey Starling has a max length of 24cm and weighs 88 grams. I’d discount that immediately. I’m really not sure what you saw. Unless it was an “escapee” from a collection. It might be back at some point. If you get a photo of it, please post it.
I have also looked at this months Suffolk rarities, alas, nothing that is recorded like it. |  | | |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 18:22 - Mar 7 with 1416 views | gordon |
Hi Ryorry, sounds like possibly a Rose-coloured Starling? We usually get a handful of vagrants popping up in gardens in the UK each year, and sometimes there's bigger irruptions, like with Waxwing, wasn't aware that this was one of those years. They breed from the far eastern bits of Europe (Greece, Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine etc) across Asia.
http://t0.gstatic.com/licensed-image?q=tbn:ANd9GcRUvWZM7g_AG_zqcFzTK4lneXjHpNL6g
Edit - sorry, seen this has already been suggested, in my excitement at a bird related post I skipped through the comments. [Post edited 7 Mar 2023 18:28]
|  | | |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 18:27 - Mar 7 with 1381 views | Keno |
was it one of these
 |  |
| |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 18:44 - Mar 7 with 1340 views | BlueBoots |
As you say similar to a Jay, I'm going with Hooded Crow (get the rare pinkish variant)
 |  |
| |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 19:14 - Mar 7 with 1294 views | Ryorry |
| Pigeon size bird with black head, pink breast, black markings on wings/tail on 17:39 - Mar 7 by Chondzoresk |
I’m a birder. You say large. The Rosey Starling has a max length of 24cm and weighs 88 grams. I’d discount that immediately. I’m really not sure what you saw. Unless it was an “escapee” from a collection. It might be back at some point. If you get a photo of it, please post it.
I have also looked at this months Suffolk rarities, alas, nothing that is recorded like it. |
I've just measured the diameter of the birdbath (should have thought of doing earlier of course) which is 37cm or 14.5 inches; also googled pigeon & dove sizes ("Pigeons and doves exhibit considerable variation in size, ranging in length from 15 to 75 centimetres (5.9 to 29.5 in) - and I'd say that actually, a 24cm bird would be pretty spot on in relation to the size of the bath - tho it did look heavier to me than 88g, but that's subjective of course.
Bearing in mind my immediate reaction at the sighting being "unusual dove" - I do now think it's most likely a Rosey Starling ... unless it's a giant female bullfinch! Also the absence of any other bird that's anything remotely like it (unless interbreeding is possible? Maybe in captivity as you say).
 Hive mind of TWTD :) | |
| |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
