I usually go to a place called "Carbon County Environmental Education Center" in Summit Hill, Pennsylvania and use their bird blind to photograph waterfowl on the lake. One day while hiking down to the bird blind on the lake, A Chukar came out of the woods in front of me. These are rare game birds in Pennsylvania. Introduced from Eurasia, the sandy-brown Chukar is a game bird that lives in high desert plains of western North America, as well as in Hawaii and New Zealand. The Chukar has been introduced to Pennsylvania but has not fared so well here and is rare in the wild. Nearly any Chukar seen in Pennsylvania is almost certainly a bird that has been released or escaped from a game farm. The Chukar is generally considered to be one of the easiest gamebirds to raise in captivity and it is being raised on many game farms and in backyards across Pennsylvania
Its namesake call echoes across dry rocky slopes. It runs and scampers up steep terrain with the agility and speed of a mountain goat, prompting hunters to nickname it the "devil bird" for the brutal chase it gives. Dark bars on the sides and a band across the head and neck adorn this red-billed game bird. Here are some photos of the Chukar
Some cool facts about the Chukar are provided by "The Cornell Lab of Ornithology" website
1. The Chukar lives in dry country, so water is an important resource. It takes advantage of all types of water sources: rivers, ponds, springs, even seeps that barely moisten the ground. During the hot summer months, they seek out water, sometimes finding their way into mineshafts 10 feet below ground level just for a little drink
2. Chukars bathe with dust on an almost daily basis to keep their feathers in tiptop shape. They make shallow depressions in the ground and toss and scratch dust over their bodies
3. The Chukar is the national bird of Pakistan and Iraq
My camera equipment:
Canon EOS 60D body
Canon EF-S 18-135mmf/3.5-5.6 IS Lens
Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM for Canon EF mount
Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di Vc USD Lens for Canon
All photos are handshot, no tripod
Thanks everyone for taking the time to read this post. Have a great day/night wherever you may be
