large pink bird? id please!

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by Picidae

The only thing that fits that description is a Flamingo Jim, and I hardly think there would be several Flamingo's feeding on the side of a road in Ireland. Which simply proves my point, that anyone who finds difficulty in ruling out very common species when it comes to establishing size cf. to a Jay vis a vis Chaffinch, or plumage of a Jay vis a vis GS Woodpecker vis a vis Hoopoe etc etc would benefit from a good field guide!

You're right. It's a bit of fun taking wild guesses at what it might be from the O.P.'s vague description, but no more than that. The O.P. really needs to get up to speed with a field guide.

Jim

[Picidae]

It also might be worth mentioning that there is a tendency in all birders to try and fit a 'wishful thinking' description onto a bird originally seen, that didn't show those features at the time. We seem to have moved from the original ''large pink bird'' to a bird showing 'red mainly under the tail'!

[Goatboy]

Originally Posted by Picidae

The only thing that fits that description is a Flamingo Jim, and I hardly think there would be several Flamingo's feeding on the side of a road in Ireland.

Yeah, but what a site it would be

[diggleken]

We need more information on jizz in general, size properly compared with known common birds, location, behaviour etc etc or a picture - otherwise we'll be here for ever. Hey ho!
Any chance of getting a local birder to have a look too?
Sorry to be a tad serious!
Ken

[Zoundz]

Well, I'm sorry - I won't update this thread again - in the end *i* know what I saw (and by the by - have plenty of very good field guides) I know it isn't a chaffinch, woodpigeon or bullfinch (and yes I do know the difference - and can spot the differences pretty accurately! ) and I don't believe it's a Jay or a hoopoe. I said 'one of these birds' as I assume there must be more than one, as we have seen them several times, however it's a possibility that it's the same bird.

I have no list of 'tick offs' so really have no desire to fit the description to a certain species... :/ I was merely curious - of course, daft of me to even try to figure out what it was since I don't have a clear photo of it, and haven't sat watching it, and have only had a handful of flyby glances when driving.

lastly - i do not 'find difficulty' in rulling out a jay from a chaffinch - if you care to read my posts, I actually said that it was jay sized (roughly) and looked like a chaffinch in markings and colour.

Knowing perfectly well what linnets, chaffinch and bullfinch look like, it is none of those. perhaps it is a jay, but really doesn't look like one. anyway - forget it - obviously, I'm an idiot for even thinking of asking

xx