My flock befriended this strange white bird today. It’s the large one in the background of the attached pictures. It’s the size of a small turkey, grey and white, with a prominent crest. It ate some scratch with my girls, then ate some wild blackberries, and departed into the woods.
We’re in upstate NY. I’ve never seen a bird like this before. It almost looks like a peacock but, again, it’s white and we are in upstate NY.
The girls liked her, she seemed harmless - they usually lose their shit if even a little sparrow tries to snag some scratch. They alert me to turkeys and deer regularly but didn’t mind this stranger at all.
Can anyone help me identify this bird?
Looks maybe like a pheasant?
I had thought it might be at first glance too, but it’s neck is much longer and the crest it’s very peacock like… Like little circles on sticks. It’s a gorgeous bird.