Pupils leaving Henry Maynard Primary School in Walthamstow yesterday, were surprised to find a rare and colourful bird pecking about on the pavement outside.
Quick thinking trainee teacher Nick Addy, snapped the bird and posted it on Twitter, to see if any Tweeting twitchers could identify the breed. Other Twitter users suggested that it is a gold pheasant, originating from China.
Rare bird: the creature seen outside a primary school in Walthamstow (Picture: Nick Addy)
“It’s clearly someone’s pet – I don’t think it’s for eating,” said Mr Addy.
Afraid that the lost bird would be injured in passing traffic, he and some of the parents tried to catch it, but to no avail. “It was way too fast,” he added. The RSPCA were called and the case has been referred to Waltham Forest Council.
More images of the rare creature have appeared on Reddit, uploaded by a user who spotted it in his backgarden in Leyton.