Pheasant - male or female? (1 Viewer)

[Capercaillie71]

This pheasant turned up in my garden this morning. It's plumage is very similar to an adult female's but it has bare pink skin around the eye like a male. Most juvenile male pheasants I see at this time of year show some degree of the male plumage pattern, so this one is a bit different. It appeared to be just about fully grown. Is it simply a juvenile male or an aberrant female?

 

[Capercaillie71]

Yes, I thought it looked a bit mutant, but the skin patches were the same both sides. Much pinker and more swollen looking than you would expect on a normal bird too..

 

[Capercaillie71]

That was strange - the thread is saying I posted my last message at 12.47, but it says 18.47 on my computer clock. So now it looks like I responded to Frenchy's post four hours before he posted it - I knew that flux capacitor I bought on ebay would come in handy!

 

[Frenchy]

It looks a bit knackered to me. Was the bare skin the same both sides, or is it possibly a disease/abnormality of some kind. If so, female. Wouldn't of thought a juvenile would look that knackered in July, but open to suggestions.