Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!bbn!mailrus!ncar!boulder!sunybcs!dmark From: dmark@cs.Buffalo.EDU (David Mark) Newsgroups: rec.birds Subject: Re: superpigeon Keywords: rock dove, foghorn leghorn, ptarmigan Message-ID: <3565@cs.Buffalo.EDU> Date: 6 Jan 89 01:21:05 GMT References: <35594@oliveb.olivetti.com> Sender: dmark@cs.Buffalo.EDU Reply-To: dmark@sunybcs.UUCP (David Mark) Organization: SUNY/Buffalo Geography Lines: 21 In article <35594@oliveb.olivetti.com> mjm@oliven.olivetti.com (Michael Mammoser) writes: >In article , allender@aramis.rutgers.edu (Eric Allender) writes: > > > > Usually, I try to ignore the rock doves [at feeder], but one recent visitor > > is really remarkable. He is fully 30% larger than the other pigeons, > > and his legs and feet are covered with fluffy, big, white feathers. > > He almost looks like he has leggings and snow shoes on! > > Although your description isn't very detailed, the feathered >legs and feet make me think of a ptarmigan. In another life, I used to keep and show pigeons. For a while I had a white Trumpeter, a large breed with large fans of feather *above* the toes. Many breeds developed for meat ('squabs') are much larger than wild-phenotypic birds; also, quite a few ornamental breeds have feathered legs and/or feet. If I recall correctly, the Trumpeter has a small pointed crest on the *back* (not top) of its head. A library book on show pigeons should clear up the ID. If it has a metal leg band, and you can read the club name and number, you'll be able to contact the owner if it has/had one. dmark@cs.buffalo.edu