red black & white bird New Forest ID please

[lavender47]

Any ideas as to ID of a bird seen 2 days ago ground feeding under a seed feeder in the New Forest,about the size of a thrush.VERY distinct colour demarcations-all red head with a black eye,solid black back and wings and tail no striations or spots,very white belly and chest continuing completely around neck as a white collar.Please note I don't think this is a U.S. redheaded woodpecker as wings are all black,& it's not a British Spotted lesser or otherwise!Any ideas gratefully received thank you

[Picidae]

Originally Posted by lavender47

Please note I don't think this is a U.S. redheaded woodpecker ...

And unlikely in the extreme! Woodpeckers don't like crossing water and tend mostly to be sedentary - so if it wasn't a British Woodpecker species, then I'd suggest an escaped pet of some description (feeding under the seed feeders certainly would hint at that).

It would help if you could at least narrow it down to a family group of birds ie. was it a finch, a woodpecker, a raptor etc ... What was the length and shape of the bill?

Perhaps a Red-headed Weaver or variation thereof ...

http://www.south-africa-tours-and-tr...etoriuskop.jpg

[lavender47]

Thank you for your interest and comment-yes it's looking increasingly like an escaped "exotic" I have posted a very poor quality photo taken in a hurry at time of sighting on the unidentified birds section.I don't know if this is the correct way to do it,apologies as a newcomer if this was a mistake
Thank you once again

[diggleken]

Hi lavender, welcome to WAB, is this it?
Someone will know, a sort of weaver/waxbill/finch escapee .
There are some other threads on loading pics, just use search to get to those or you can highlight the picture's url or whatever its called , copy then paste into your thread, but these days you can more easily click on the library images or Gallery images on the right, my pics, and select from there, which will then post automatically into your thread where the cursor is.
Cheers
Ken

[tombom]

Looks like a Red-cowled(/Pope) Cardinal.

[Tiggrx]

or maybe a Brazilian Cardinal (Loxia coronata)?

[Picidae]

Hi Lavender

Good we now have a photo!

Your bird is a Red-Capped Cardinal Paroaria gularis(actually a tanger species!). A South American bird so it is indeed an escaped exotic pet. (It feeds on insects, rice and fruit btw)

Some pics here:

http://i.pbase.com/g4/61/384761/2/61387493.PICT4080.jpg

http://www.birdfinders.co.uk/images/...uyana-2007.jpg

(different species to Brazilian Cardinal Paroaria coronata which are grey with red crest)

Paroaria coronata (Red-crested cardinal, Brazilian cardinal) - Birds of Hawaii

[bornwild]

Will it be ok in this country ? or die

[lavender47]

Thank you all for the input & ID.How interesting but so sad ,one feels for the poor lonely bird,and doomed I guess at the first cold weather?Any thoughts on its chances of survival for any lenght of time-pretty slim I would think.Its causing quite a stir amongst the locals.