Mystery Bird

[Chris Hawes]

Ok, so yesterday I'm in an area of fairly dense, mixed woodland, walking along minding my own business, when I inadvertently startle some sort of brown bird which was on the ground a little way from the path. It takes off with quite a bit of noise, not unlike a pheasant (only smaller), flying low with loud, rapid wingbeats through the trees. It was about the size of a partridge, although I'm not sure the habitat was right for one of those. So I don't know what it was. Then, about an hour later and in a different area (same habitat), exactly the same thing again.

Any ideas what they were?

I want to think they were woodcock, but having never seen one before, I'm hoping they were rather than thinking they were, if you know what I mean.

[davewalker]

A Woodcock has a distinctive bill, and appears almost white underneath in flight.From the description,sounds more like young partridge, but wouldn't want to bet on it.


davew

[aeshna5]

I think a partridge is unlikely in the middle of a dense woodland.

If a Woodcock was flushed the underparts probably wouldn't be seen as the bird flies away. I would have expected the long bill to be seen, but in the confusion of an unexpected bird flying up + fleeting view maybe that was missed.

The only other thing I can think of is a small female Pheasant that's lost the long tail?

[Adam Cheeseman]

Sounds very much like a woodcock. Generally they fly away from you when flushed so the bill is usually quite hard to see against a background of woodland undergrowth.

Cheers,

Adam

[Chris Hawes]

Thanks for your replies. Adam and Aeshna5, you are right - the manner in which it flew away (low to the ground and directly away from me), meant I couldn't see the underparts, nor the bill. All I saw was the back and wings. It didn't seem pale enough for a female pheasant, although I suppose they can vary. In fact it wasn't really uniform in colour, with bits of both dark and pale brown.

Unfortunately I didn't have time to view with the binoculars - they disappeared pretty sharpish. Guess I'll put it down as 'unkown.'

[Jonathan]

Hi Chris,

It sounds to me like woodcock, they often 'clap' their wings when flushed - a little like a woodpigeon when displaying, if you've heard that sound? Can you remember if you flushed them from damp areas in the wood - that's usually where you find woodcock. They'll use woods as a daytime roost and often fly out to other, damp areas, such as pasture fields, in the evening, flighting back to the wood before first light.

You won't find grey partridge in woodland normally, but redlegs will utilise woods as cover if disturbed from open fields.

Jonathan

[Fourwings]

I'd be almost certain that it was a Woodcock, I disturb them quite often in a wood close to where I live, and your description fits the birds "jizz" perfectly.