Indian Crow

This is like most of the genuine feathers one which gives the most flydresser an empty wallet and huge problems to find is "The Indian Crow". I dont know if thoose guys back in the 1800's didn't know the differents between South-America and India, but the fact is, that those birds are named "Red ruffed fruit crow" and lives in the rainforrest of South-America . This bird is known in 5 different spieces, and it's two of them regulary show up in flydressing, it's Nr 1: Pyroderus Scutatus Granadensis which is the most common and almost the only I have seen in antique flies. Then Nr 2: and 3: Pyroderus Scutatus Scutatus which have a broader red stripe and are less curved.
The other three spieces are very rare.
  • Nr 4-5:Pyroderus Scutatus Occidentalis
  • Nr 6-7: Pyroderus Scutatus Orenocensis
  • Nr 8-9: Pyroderus Scutatus Masoni

    As you can see on the pics below there is a lot's of possibilytis to substitute I-C
    even if the "real" ones is a extraordinary beautiful feather.

  • Nr 1-2: Dyed feathers from a Ring-neck pheasent. ( Thanks Tony).
  • Nr 3:Is from Donegals and in my opinion ok, but far to expensive for a substitute.
  • Nr 4: From the orange Weaver-birds back.
  • Nr 5: From the Red Weaver-birds back.
  • Nr 6 From the orange Weaver-birds back and very useful for cheeks.
  • Nr 7: From the red Weaver-birds back and a superb subs for the "Occidentalis" and "Masoni".
  • Nr 8: From the red Weaver-birds neck and very good for veilings and tails in small flies.
    Check out for the Pophame below which have real Bustard in the wing but substitut for IC (Weaverbird) as tails and veilings.