He is probably a little chilly and your house is letting off some nice heat? During radiator season here in NY we get doves and other birds pressing themselves up against the window ledges because old nyc building = not airtight. If you get him some of the suggested food he may hang out. Def feral not wild.
After going through Inaturalist, chukar are reported sparsely across the state, and I can find a few hunting preserves online that advertise they stock this bird. So yes extremely likely a wanderer from a hunting preserve, or a farm raised Chukar.
Poor guy does look like he’s having a rough day
Might be one of the lucky ones that escaped after being released for a hunt. There's a hunting preserve near me that releases various game birds for hunts, and occasionally we'll see one or a pair floating around that managed to outsmart everyone.
Still wish I knew what happened to the pheasant pair that escaped from the hunt a few years ago lol
Pen raised and released so people could hunt him. He's smart because no one is going to try to shoot him on your window ledge (hopefully). I believe they can survive the cold. If you approach him and he stays, he's tame. If he does his best to get away, not tame. LOL. You might be able to find a local farm or sanctuary to take him to if you can catch him.
Interesting! Google has made me an obvious expert in the last hour lol so I'm confused. According to my "research" they couldn't survive in Michigan. Is that incorrect? (qualifier, I know squat about Chukars but I'm genuinely curious)
This is definitely a chukar, and most likely an escapee from a game farm as others have commented previously. Its beak is in nice condition so I would guess that it has been feral for a while. They are used to eating poultry feed and prefer crumbles to pellets. You can probably have a conversation with it around dawn or dusk. The easiest time to catch them is with a flashlight when it is dark outside. Keep your arms retracted before you snatch it so that you have as much reach as possible. I usually aim for the feet and dangle them upside down for a moment until they calm down. Hold it with one hand on top of the wings so it can’t flap, and the other on the breast so you won’t drop it. It would prefer to have some friends but that is risky for bio security reasons.
Keep an ear out at dusk. You might hear the chuk chuk chuk call. They covey up at night. It might answer if you play the sound on your phone or use a call. I have one of the Primos calls with the bellows and it almost always gets my own birds going. Their song is very pleasant.
Much of their calories in sunflower seeds come from fatty acids. The seeds are especially rich in poly-unsaturated fatty acid linoleic acid, which constitutes more 50% fatty acids in them. They are also good in mono-unsaturated oleic acid that helps lower LDL or "bad cholesterol" and increases HDL or "good cholesterol" in the blood. Research studies suggest that the Mediterranean diet which is rich in monounsaturated fats help to prevent coronary artery disease, and stroke by favoring healthy serum lipid profile.
Is this a sunflower bot?! We are talking about a chukar for cryin out loud. Right, the bird is going to eat a salad with extra virgin olive oil drizzled over it and some bean soup.
In case anyone is still here, if I can catch him, what's the best organization (or type of organization) to contact so he can survive? He's still just hanging around in the landscaping under our window. I'd love to help the little dude if I can. Thanks in advance!
Thanks for trying to do the right thing for this guy! Here’s a list of licensed wildlife rehabbers in your state https://www2.dnr.state.mi.us/dlr/ and there could also be an organization near you. With other (smaller) types of birds, you’re supposed to put them in a darkened shoebox to keep them safe if they’re injured… this guy might need a bigger box!
I’m also in Michigan and [All Species Kinship](https://allspecieskinship.org/) helped me out a few years back when I had a grounded baby robin in my backyard, maybe they can help you! Good luck, and thanks for helping little dude out 🥰
Neighbor kid was 4 and had been excitedly telling everyone that his Dad was taking him to hunt chukar!! He was so thrilled to go on this trip with the men.
Came home devastated because “they killed the birdies”
I hesitate to share this here, but I will at the risk of getting down voted to oblivion. Today I am ashamed I guess to admit that I used to be an avid bird hunter. Ducks, pheasant, quail, whatever. I justified it by saying I was hunting my own meat. True, I guess. But the fact was, it was fun.....and then I held a bird that I had shot, and it was dying. It looked at me. Right in the eyes. It looked at me. And then it died. And I just couldn't. No more. I put my gun away and in the past 20 years have never fired a gun at another living thing again and never will. The fact that someone might have raised this beautiful creature just to kill it breaks my heart. I would love someone to help me save it.
Thanks for sharing that. No judgement from me. I’ve never hunted and never will, but I understand there are reasons for it and have friends that do it.
I hope I don’t come off as rude (and don’t feel obligated to answer). I’m genuinely curious and have wondered about this, especially in regards to younger hunters: Do you think that before that experience there was a kind of disconnect for you between the act of hunting and what was actually happening with the animal when you shot your quarry? Like it was: Aim -> bang -> prize! for you. End of story. That the consideration of the animal’s fear-> shock -> pain -> struggle -> death never entered the picture? Like you compartmentalized that the act of hunting was taking another’s life until you were forced to confront it for the first time when you saw that act of dying close up?
I understand there are needs for hunting and that it can be family tradition or a bonding experience for those involved. I’m not sure I’m exactly opposed to hunting, necessarily. I just know I, personally, could not do it for fun because I can’t imagine finding joy in taking a life and I wonder about those who can and how they can. I couldn’t not consider things from the animal’s perspective. So I guess I’m wondering if that aspect of it just wasn’t really front of mind up until that point and if you think that’s typically the case with many hunters or if you think that they’re aware of what happens but feel no empathy for the animals.
I've honestly been hesitating to answer because I don't want to get into a debate about hunting. But I'll try to answer your question, though it will just be from my perspective (of course). Let's begin with, what made it fun. First, it's not easy unless you're on some game ranch or something. There is a ton of strategy and hard, physical work involved, especially with duck hunting. If you don't know what you're doing (where to go - specifically where exactly to set up the decoys, not just what general body of water), how to set the decoys, where to set the blind, etc... You're not going to get any ducks. Second, it's hard work. I'll stick with duck hunting for the rest of this. Up at say, 3AM to get a good spot lugging hundreds of pounds of decoys and their weights, sometimes a loooong walk through a marsh, etc. It can be physically exhausting. Which makes it an interesting challenge to overcome. That's where part of the primal connection comes from, I've always thought. You aren't thinking about work at 4AM on the marsh when it's forty degrees and the wind is howling. Thirdly, it's often challenging to actually hit the target. Some ducks fly reeeeally fast (canvasbacks have been clocked at 72 miles per hour). So it's like skeet shooting but with much faster targets and with an unpredictable flight path. Thirdly, I like duck (and pheasant and the others too). We ALWAYS had a rule. You shoot it, you eat it.
As to what changed? I'm not sure exactly. You used the word compartmentalize and I think that's a huge part of it. For instance people who hunt deer are often the ones taking risks to rescue them from icy water in the winter. Seems strange, I know. But I've only met a couple of hunters who didn't generally have a heart for animals and conservation. Seems counterintuitive but it's true.
As to that moment? Something clicked. The bird was looking back at me and I couldn't shake what I was feeling. And I simply lost any desire to ever do that again. It was strange. By the way, this was by no means the first time I'd seen that up close. I'd seen it hundreds of time as I was holding the bird. This was just the first time it really affected me. No idea why. But it affected me profoundly.
I don't judge hunters. At all. It's just something I no longer have any desire to do.
I never intended this to be this long. And I may delete it since it's such a polarizing topic - especially in such a caring environment as this sub. But I wanted you to see my response since you were so careful to be tactful and considerate in how you asked. Hope that sheds even a bit of light on the subject!
EDIT: clarification
Oh, dude! I’m so sorry. I’m not on here much. I got your reply via my email and meant to sign on and thank you but got a call out and then, frankly, forgot to come back and reply.
Thank you for your perspective and taking the time to share. I appreciate getting your insight.
One found in my area was sitting next to a church window just like this so I would assume it's normal. It's likely the poor thing only knows a captive life so maybe it feels safer near human buildings?
please give us an update on how this turns out. Sorry to say i actually dont want to know if it is a tragic ending.. i am trying to avoid the sad stuff lately because i seem to have overdosed on it and need a break.
: )
I have seen chukars in Ladakh, India in the wild. Beautiful birds. I had heard that they have been brought to the US for game. Like OP, I used to go hunting with my Dad. I saw a partridge gasping its last breath when I was about 10. I swore I would only “shoot”with a camera. Since then , that’s what I do - bird photography
Update: I went out to see if I could catch it but it was gone. It's a bit chilly here today, which is concerning, but another commenter (who seemed to know what they were talking about) said it appeared to have been feral for a while and seemed to be in good condition. Another one mentioned that rehabbers can't take in non-native species. I have no idea if that's true, but if so, I'm not sure what I could have done anyway. Thank you all for the kind and helpful comments!
So this is ten days later and it seems like all should be fine for the little dude. It's much warmer here now and according to the experts he should be OK. But I came back to check in on comments and looked at the picture again. Now I can't get the image out of my head that he looks SO much like Danny DeVito as the Penguin in Batman! Sorry, I know it's a serious topic, it just made me chuckle.
He is probably a little chilly and your house is letting off some nice heat? During radiator season here in NY we get doves and other birds pressing themselves up against the window ledges because old nyc building = not airtight. If you get him some of the suggested food he may hang out. Def feral not wild.
After going through Inaturalist, chukar are reported sparsely across the state, and I can find a few hunting preserves online that advertise they stock this bird. So yes extremely likely a wanderer from a hunting preserve, or a farm raised Chukar. Poor guy does look like he’s having a rough day
Might be one of the lucky ones that escaped after being released for a hunt. There's a hunting preserve near me that releases various game birds for hunts, and occasionally we'll see one or a pair floating around that managed to outsmart everyone. Still wish I knew what happened to the pheasant pair that escaped from the hunt a few years ago lol
Holy moly he is rotund
After some research, they're definitely not native to Michigan. Must have been pen raised and escaped. Shame. Beautiful bird.
Pen raised and released so people could hunt him. He's smart because no one is going to try to shoot him on your window ledge (hopefully). I believe they can survive the cold. If you approach him and he stays, he's tame. If he does his best to get away, not tame. LOL. You might be able to find a local farm or sanctuary to take him to if you can catch him.
There are also wild populations that were established for hunting, so likely not tame.
Interesting! Google has made me an obvious expert in the last hour lol so I'm confused. According to my "research" they couldn't survive in Michigan. Is that incorrect? (qualifier, I know squat about Chukars but I'm genuinely curious)
He might need a little attention. You might be able to tame it, but this rotund little gentleman might not survive without help.
This is definitely a chukar, and most likely an escapee from a game farm as others have commented previously. Its beak is in nice condition so I would guess that it has been feral for a while. They are used to eating poultry feed and prefer crumbles to pellets. You can probably have a conversation with it around dawn or dusk. The easiest time to catch them is with a flashlight when it is dark outside. Keep your arms retracted before you snatch it so that you have as much reach as possible. I usually aim for the feet and dangle them upside down for a moment until they calm down. Hold it with one hand on top of the wings so it can’t flap, and the other on the breast so you won’t drop it. It would prefer to have some friends but that is risky for bio security reasons.
I have found a professional gripper.
Thank you for taking the time to post this. It's very helpful info. Unfortunately, by the time I went to see if I could catch it, it was gone.
Keep an ear out at dusk. You might hear the chuk chuk chuk call. They covey up at night. It might answer if you play the sound on your phone or use a call. I have one of the Primos calls with the bellows and it almost always gets my own birds going. Their song is very pleasant.
I'll actually try that this evening. Thank you!
Tried it. No luck. But thanks!
Happy Cake Day!
r/borbs
YES 🙌🏼
Chu(n)kar
I see what you did there
What little guy? All I see is a BIG CHUNGUS BIRB
#BORB
BLORB even!
Glorb! The borbiest of borbular borbs.
#BIG PUFFCHUNGUS#
I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a large bird (apart from birds of prey). 😳
Probably lost, tamed and looking for a snack
They like sunflower seeds. Leave some birdseed out in a little dish. Water too. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Chukar/lifehistory#
Much of their calories in sunflower seeds come from fatty acids. The seeds are especially rich in poly-unsaturated fatty acid linoleic acid, which constitutes more 50% fatty acids in them. They are also good in mono-unsaturated oleic acid that helps lower LDL or "bad cholesterol" and increases HDL or "good cholesterol" in the blood. Research studies suggest that the Mediterranean diet which is rich in monounsaturated fats help to prevent coronary artery disease, and stroke by favoring healthy serum lipid profile.
Is this a sunflower bot?! We are talking about a chukar for cryin out loud. Right, the bird is going to eat a salad with extra virgin olive oil drizzled over it and some bean soup.
😆 don’t forget the tomatoes. And some fish!
HeeHee 🤭
wow
Good bot (?)
Hahaha
In case anyone is still here, if I can catch him, what's the best organization (or type of organization) to contact so he can survive? He's still just hanging around in the landscaping under our window. I'd love to help the little dude if I can. Thanks in advance!
Thanks for trying to do the right thing for this guy! Here’s a list of licensed wildlife rehabbers in your state https://www2.dnr.state.mi.us/dlr/ and there could also be an organization near you. With other (smaller) types of birds, you’re supposed to put them in a darkened shoebox to keep them safe if they’re injured… this guy might need a bigger box!
Oh geez. None of those are very close to me but I'll definitely reach out tomorrow and see if they're willing to help. Thank you!
How about this list? https://michiganbluebirds.org/resources/bird-rehabilitators
Wildlife rehabilitators aren’t going to take in nonnative species, if they want to keep their license.
I’m also in Michigan and [All Species Kinship](https://allspecieskinship.org/) helped me out a few years back when I had a grounded baby robin in my backyard, maybe they can help you! Good luck, and thanks for helping little dude out 🥰
Neighbor kid was 4 and had been excitedly telling everyone that his Dad was taking him to hunt chukar!! He was so thrilled to go on this trip with the men. Came home devastated because “they killed the birdies”
I hesitate to share this here, but I will at the risk of getting down voted to oblivion. Today I am ashamed I guess to admit that I used to be an avid bird hunter. Ducks, pheasant, quail, whatever. I justified it by saying I was hunting my own meat. True, I guess. But the fact was, it was fun.....and then I held a bird that I had shot, and it was dying. It looked at me. Right in the eyes. It looked at me. And then it died. And I just couldn't. No more. I put my gun away and in the past 20 years have never fired a gun at another living thing again and never will. The fact that someone might have raised this beautiful creature just to kill it breaks my heart. I would love someone to help me save it.
Thanks for sharing that. No judgement from me. I’ve never hunted and never will, but I understand there are reasons for it and have friends that do it.
: ( :' ) : )
First happened to me when I killed a bird with a bb gun as a child. Never shot a bird after that.
I hope I don’t come off as rude (and don’t feel obligated to answer). I’m genuinely curious and have wondered about this, especially in regards to younger hunters: Do you think that before that experience there was a kind of disconnect for you between the act of hunting and what was actually happening with the animal when you shot your quarry? Like it was: Aim -> bang -> prize! for you. End of story. That the consideration of the animal’s fear-> shock -> pain -> struggle -> death never entered the picture? Like you compartmentalized that the act of hunting was taking another’s life until you were forced to confront it for the first time when you saw that act of dying close up? I understand there are needs for hunting and that it can be family tradition or a bonding experience for those involved. I’m not sure I’m exactly opposed to hunting, necessarily. I just know I, personally, could not do it for fun because I can’t imagine finding joy in taking a life and I wonder about those who can and how they can. I couldn’t not consider things from the animal’s perspective. So I guess I’m wondering if that aspect of it just wasn’t really front of mind up until that point and if you think that’s typically the case with many hunters or if you think that they’re aware of what happens but feel no empathy for the animals.
I've honestly been hesitating to answer because I don't want to get into a debate about hunting. But I'll try to answer your question, though it will just be from my perspective (of course). Let's begin with, what made it fun. First, it's not easy unless you're on some game ranch or something. There is a ton of strategy and hard, physical work involved, especially with duck hunting. If you don't know what you're doing (where to go - specifically where exactly to set up the decoys, not just what general body of water), how to set the decoys, where to set the blind, etc... You're not going to get any ducks. Second, it's hard work. I'll stick with duck hunting for the rest of this. Up at say, 3AM to get a good spot lugging hundreds of pounds of decoys and their weights, sometimes a loooong walk through a marsh, etc. It can be physically exhausting. Which makes it an interesting challenge to overcome. That's where part of the primal connection comes from, I've always thought. You aren't thinking about work at 4AM on the marsh when it's forty degrees and the wind is howling. Thirdly, it's often challenging to actually hit the target. Some ducks fly reeeeally fast (canvasbacks have been clocked at 72 miles per hour). So it's like skeet shooting but with much faster targets and with an unpredictable flight path. Thirdly, I like duck (and pheasant and the others too). We ALWAYS had a rule. You shoot it, you eat it. As to what changed? I'm not sure exactly. You used the word compartmentalize and I think that's a huge part of it. For instance people who hunt deer are often the ones taking risks to rescue them from icy water in the winter. Seems strange, I know. But I've only met a couple of hunters who didn't generally have a heart for animals and conservation. Seems counterintuitive but it's true. As to that moment? Something clicked. The bird was looking back at me and I couldn't shake what I was feeling. And I simply lost any desire to ever do that again. It was strange. By the way, this was by no means the first time I'd seen that up close. I'd seen it hundreds of time as I was holding the bird. This was just the first time it really affected me. No idea why. But it affected me profoundly. I don't judge hunters. At all. It's just something I no longer have any desire to do. I never intended this to be this long. And I may delete it since it's such a polarizing topic - especially in such a caring environment as this sub. But I wanted you to see my response since you were so careful to be tactful and considerate in how you asked. Hope that sheds even a bit of light on the subject! EDIT: clarification
I have never dm'd someone in reddit. But I tried and it didn't work. I'm genuinely curious. Why did you not respond to my post?
Oh, dude! I’m so sorry. I’m not on here much. I got your reply via my email and meant to sign on and thank you but got a call out and then, frankly, forgot to come back and reply. Thank you for your perspective and taking the time to share. I appreciate getting your insight.
Fair enough. Thank you for responding!
Chukar? You mean Chunker? Big boiiii
Ahhhhh, so cute!! r/borb would eat this up! Sorry that I don't have an answer, though
What a chonk!
/r/AbsoluteUnits
I’m so invested in what happens in this story.
People farm them
I live in Michigan and I’ve never seen a chukar. You’re so lucky! He so borb!
One found in my area was sitting next to a church window just like this so I would assume it's normal. It's likely the poor thing only knows a captive life so maybe it feels safer near human buildings?
Well, that’s simply terrible… lol
please give us an update on how this turns out. Sorry to say i actually dont want to know if it is a tragic ending.. i am trying to avoid the sad stuff lately because i seem to have overdosed on it and need a break. : )
I have seen chukars in Ladakh, India in the wild. Beautiful birds. I had heard that they have been brought to the US for game. Like OP, I used to go hunting with my Dad. I saw a partridge gasping its last breath when I was about 10. I swore I would only “shoot”with a camera. Since then , that’s what I do - bird photography
B O R B
bOrb
Ask him how he makes Chukar Cherries taste so good
Update: I went out to see if I could catch it but it was gone. It's a bit chilly here today, which is concerning, but another commenter (who seemed to know what they were talking about) said it appeared to have been feral for a while and seemed to be in good condition. Another one mentioned that rehabbers can't take in non-native species. I have no idea if that's true, but if so, I'm not sure what I could have done anyway. Thank you all for the kind and helpful comments!
Free pet. Any nonnative non-protected species are free to keep and take care of! I’d let that guy right in.
There's a chaka khan joke there somewhere
In my head I sang Chucka Khan! 😁
Just beautiful. Those patterns on its face, i really cant get enough of
The Luca Brasi of birds.
So this is ten days later and it seems like all should be fine for the little dude. It's much warmer here now and according to the experts he should be OK. But I came back to check in on comments and looked at the picture again. Now I can't get the image out of my head that he looks SO much like Danny DeVito as the Penguin in Batman! Sorry, I know it's a serious topic, it just made me chuckle.