ID help (1 Viewer)

[Dave Smith]

I received the following message from a colleague. Can anyone help with the ID. I am baffled. Could it be a young red-legged partridge? I cannot find a picture of one anywhere.
<Start quote>
i enclose 2 pictures of a bird i found in my garden the other day. it was a very fast runner. that is why the pictures are not that good. the cat got it but it got away. i thought that it was only a matter of time before it was killed. so i took it out into the country and let it go there. it was a fast runner. no tail or very short tail about 4" long yellow legs and feet and red eyes, short beak. when i cornered it, it was quite easy to catch. it could fly short distances close to the ground.
<End quote>

TIA

Dave

 

[Bluetail]

No idea, but I'll watch the debate with interest.

 

[Andrew Rowlands]

Young Water Rail?

...Corncrake?

Andy.

 

[RichUK]

Young Water Rail I reckon.

Rich.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Very young Water Rails are black. Legs are a bit orange for a Water Rail of any age I would have thought. Having said that, I've not got a clue what it is. I reckon it's out of a cage.

 

[RichUK]

Legs are very orange I agree. I don't really think it's very young and still think Water Rail is possible(ish).

But - you're probably right that it's an escapee.

Rich.

 

[Michael Frankis]

Probably immature male Asian Blue Quail or African Blue Quail (going by the pics in Lynx HBW, too blue for a female, but not blue enough for adult male). Both have the bright yellow-orange legs; not sure how to tell them apart (adult males, the Asian has a brown belly below the blue flanks, African is all-blue below)

AFAIK, one or the other of them (maybe both?) is fairly commonly kept in captivity, both as ornamental birds and as poultry for the supermarkets.

Michael

 

[Dave Smith]

My initial thoughts were water rail but the leg colour didn't seem right. The fact that it was quite easy to catch does suggest the cage.

Dave

 

[RichUK]

Didn't leave a pot of orange paint out then, no?

Rich.

 

[ashrich]

Looks like a type of Hemipode of some sort , don't know which though ..............

 

[ashrich]

Sorry , perhaps not , too many toes ( 4 instead of 3 ) , oh well ......

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

Hi all,
I think Michael has the ID; it is one of these blue quails.

Jörn

 

[Dave Smith]

Thanks every one. Escapee blue quail it is.

Dave