Southampton mum's surprise at red-legged partridge in garden

Liz Holmes, 50, had just returned from a trip to the shop when she walked into the kitchen and saw the unusual bird pecking at the ground in her back garden in Bitterne Park.

Liz Holmes and her seven year old daughter Katie (Image: Liz Holmes)She said: “I thought to myself that this bird looked far too big to be the usual pigeon.

“At first, I thought it was a pheasant, so I went on Google to see if I could work it out. I quickly realised that it was not a pheasant and so had a look through some photos of other birds.

“The bird stood out for the red patches under it’s eyes and the yellow strip under its tail.

“The encounter was more unusual as partridges usually stay in groups, and rarely leave them.

“Some of my neighbours also have cats so I was a little concerned about the safety of the bird.”

The bird eventually jumped into the neighbours garden (Image: Liz Holmes)The partridge spotted by Liz on Thursday last week was a red-legged partridge, known for preferring to run instead of fly, although they will fly short distances when necessary.

This type of partridge can be easily identified by its bright red beak and pink-red legs.

Partridges are usually found in farmland areas, but the bird is being increasingly spotted in towns and cities due to the loss of agricultural land to large industrial developments.

Liz continued: “It eventually flew up onto the fence and sat there for quite some time.

“I looked away for a minute, and when I looked back, it had gone. I hope it has survived and has returned to whatever place it may have come from.

“It was amazing to see in the middle of suburbia.”