I just answered my own question. I looked on the web and found photographs of guinea fowl feathers that look exactly like those in my thicket. Carole Gobert Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee >From: "Carole Gobert" <cpgobert@xxxxxxxxxxx> >Reply-To: cpgobert@xxxxxxxxxxx >To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >Subject: [TN-Bird] feather question >Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 10:14:24 -0500 > >I could use some help identifying a bird from a pile of feathers. Saturday >a large scattering of black and white feathers appeared in and around the >small thicket behind my house. A Cooper's hawk has been hanging out there. >In fact, when I walked into the thicket to examine the feathers yesterday, >I >surprised the hawk (actually, we surprised each other) and it flew away. >Some of the smaller feathers are pure white and the larger ones are gray >along the shaft and then black with large white spots. Do red bellied >woodpeckers have spotted feathers? > >I have been finding these feathers in my yard for a couple years... one at >a >time, and I always thought they belonged to the helmeted guinea fowls that >are kept by someone up the street and allowed to roam free. My back yard >feeders and bird bath are a favorite place for these fowl to visit. But >upon finding so many of them and suspecting a Cooper's hawk, I wonder could >a Cooper's hawk really take down a guinea fowl which is quite a large bird? > >If the feathers belong to a woodpecker, wouldn't at least some of them be >striped? > >Of course, I'm hoping it was a guinea fowl. There have been 5 of them >lately and I will count them the next time I see them. I haven't seen them >since finding the feathers, but then I wasn't home much this weekend. > >I'd appreciate any help you can offer on this. Thanks. > >Carole Gobert >Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee > > >=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER===================== > >The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with >first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation. >----------------------------------------------------- >---------------------------------------------------- >To post to this mailing list, simply send email to: >tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx >----------------------------------------------------- >To unsubscribe, send email to: >tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society > Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s) > endorse the views or opinions expressed > by the members of this discussion group. > > Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN > wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society > web site at http://www.tnbirds.org >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * >Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > ======================================================== > > =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER===================== The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation. ----------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- To post to this mailing list, simply send email to: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ----------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send email to: tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s) endorse the views or opinions expressed by the members of this discussion group. Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society web site at http://www.tnbirds.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ========================================================