# Bird identification
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification/564273
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 15, 2010, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification/564273 "2010-12-15T19:47:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@SmithCommaJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmithCommaJohn)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2010, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification/564273/1 "2010-12-15T19:47:41Z")
Just a few minutes ago, I saw this bird in the small “greenbelt” (really just a horribly unkempt backyard) behind my apartment building.
I’d guess it stood about 18-20 inches tall, and it was the size of it that struck me more than anything (that’s what she said). I’m no bird expert, but I’ve definitely never seen a bird anything like this around here.
The picture is kind of blurry, I didn’t have time to get a better shot before it ran off, but I think it gives you a decent idea of what it looks like.
The picture was taken in San Francisco.
[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/8329864@N07/5264383598/sizes/l/in/photostream/)
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### Author:  [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification/564273/2 "2010-12-15T19:56:48Z")
Looks like a turkey to me. Female.
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### Author:  [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification/564273/3 "2010-12-15T19:59:33Z")
Here’s some reference pictures:
[http://www.northrup.org/photos/turkey/](http://www.northrup.org/photos/turkey/)
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### Author:  [@SmithCommaJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmithCommaJohn)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2010, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification/564273/4 "2010-12-15T20:03:17Z")
That could definitely be it.
Thanks.
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### Author:  [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification/564273/5 "2010-12-15T20:50:00Z")
To me it has more of a pheasant look.
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### Author:  [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2010, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification/564273/6 "2010-12-15T21:33:09Z")
Given San Francisco, go with turkey. Turkeys have become quite common in the SF Bay Area. Common enough that they are being considered nuisances in some places.
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### Author:  [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)
#### Post date: [December 15, 2010, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification/564273/7 "2010-12-15T22:57:53Z")
> [@Xema](#):
>
> To me it has more of a pheasant look.
Turkeys are just oversized pheasants.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [December 16, 2010, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bird-identification/564273/8 "2010-12-16T02:07:20Z")
It’s very definitely not a turkey. Turkeys have rounded tails, have a bare head, and are solid brown, none of which applies to the bird in the photo.
[Female Wild Turkey.](http://duncraft.atom5.com/files/WildTurkeyfemale2LR.jpg)
The bird in the photo is a female Ring-necked Pheasant, based on the pointed, barred tail, spotting on the back, and feathered head.
[Female Ring-necked Pheasant.](http://sdakotabirds.com/species_photos/photos/ring_necked_pheasant_9.jpg)