I saw this pheasant today. Unfortunately the image is blurry. I have never seen all white pheasant before, are they rare (2 Viewers)

[Suzanne1234]

 

[Kits]

Welcome to Birdforum.

It looks to be leucistic. You may find this helpful.

Dictionary G-L - BirdForum Opus

www.birdforum.net

 

[delia todd]

Hi Suzanne and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators. Leucistic birds are not very uncommon but if I'm seeing this bird correctly it looks to be albino (bare parts are pink (eyes could be but I can't make them out properly).

I'll move your post to the ID forum so you can get more input.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.

 

[Suzanne1234]

Hi Suzanne and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators. Leucistic birds are not very uncommon but if I'm seeing this bird correctly it looks to be albino (bare parts are pink (eyes could be but I can't make them out properly).

I'll move your post to the ID forum so you can get more input.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.

It had red around the beak but the rest was all white. I see a lot of pheasants on my road but this was the first time I have seen a white one. Hopefully I will see it again and get a better picture

 

[Suzanne1234]

 

[nartreb]

I'm not certain it's a "pheasant" (genus phasianus, as in common pheasant phasianus colchicus). The tail seems too short (though that could be an illusion from the blurry photo). It's in the pheasant family phaisanidae, no doubt. I'm wondering if it might be a rock partridge (alectoris graeca), which would help explain the rather red beak and legs.

 

[delia todd]

The tail seems too short

I was actually thinking it was a female, if it was a pheasant. But it doesn't particularly look like the pheasants I'm usually seeing... hence I moved it here.

 

[Suzanne1234]

I'm not certain it's a "pheasant" (genus phasianus, as in common pheasant phasianus colchicus). The tail seems too short (though that could be an illusion from the blurry photo). It's in the pheasant family phaisanidae, no doubt. I'm wondering if it might be a rock partridge (alectoris graeca), which would help explain the rather red beak and legs.

I'm not certain it's a "pheasant" (genus phasianus, as in common pheasant phasianus colchicus). The tail seems too short (though that could be an illusion from the blurry photo). It's in the pheasant family phaisanidae, no doubt. I'm wondering if it might be a rock partridge (alectoris graeca), which would help explain the rather red beak and legs.

 

[Suzanne1234]

I have tried to edit the photo a bit. If you zoom in you might see the red around the beak

 

[rkj]

I am not sure what this bird is, but there are all white pheasants - I have see taxidermy mounts of them.

 

[nartreb]

Oooh, the tail looks much longer in the video. And I think the red is near the eye, not the beak itself. I changed my mind, it's a white breed of pheasant. They are sometimes bred deliberately for hunting.

 

[aeshna5]

Oooh, the tail looks much longer in the video. And I think the red is near the eye, not the beak itself. I changed my mind, it's a white breed of pheasant. They are sometimes bred deliberately for hunting.

I believe there's an etiquette amongst the shooting fraternity that the white birds can't be shot & shooters are fined for shooting them accidentally on commercial shoots.

 

[Suzanne1234]

Oooh, the tail looks much longer in the video. And I think the red is near the eye, not the beak itself. I changed my mind, it's a white breed of pheasant. They are sometimes bred deliberately for hunting.

That’s sad if true.

 

[Suzanne1234]

I believe there's an etiquette amongst the shooting fraternity that the white birds can't be shot & shooters are fined for shooting them accidentally on commercial shoots.

I read this as well.

 

[martyrynin]

Yep they are bred specifically for shooting.

I also heard because they are white it makes it easier to see, and they can then lead you to find the other pheasants, hence why it's bad etiquette to shoot them.

I saw my first one like this at Oxford Island. They are pretty, but a grim hobby imo.

 

[Suzanne1234]

Yep they are bred specifically for shooting.

I also heard because they are white it makes it easier to see, and they can then lead you to find the other pheasants, hence why it's bad etiquette to shoot them.

I saw my first one like this at Oxford Island. They are pretty, but a grim hobby imo.

😢

 

[Rotherbirder]

Many hundreds of Pheasants are released for shooting purposes on a local estate, including a fair proportion of all white, 'leucistic' individuals so no, they aren't at all rare.

RB