Seattle, WA, USA: quail of some type? (1 Viewer)

[david.margrave]

I saw this juvenile-looking bird running around on the ground in my yard. It didn't take to the air one time, but it sure runs fast when it wants to.

I have never seen a bird of this type in my area (wooded suburb of Bellevue, near Seattle, WA). I'm not sure what it is.

 

[david.margrave]

here is one more picture. blurry, but it shows the tail feathers, legs and feet which may help with ID

 

[AlexC]

Young Northern Bobwhite? I don't know what juvies look like, but structurally this seems good for one.

 

[david.margrave]

I think you're right. They're not unknown to this area

http://www.birdweb.org/birdweb/bird_details.aspx?id=127

What are the odds of a 'rare' bird showing up in my back yard? This is great!

Thanks for identifying it.

 

[AlexC]

I think you're right. They're not unknown to this area

http://www.birdweb.org/birdweb/bird_details.aspx?id=127

What are the odds of a 'rare' bird showing up in my back yard? This is great!

Thanks for identifying it.

A wild rare gamefowl bird? Basically none. Because they can't fly long distances, they can't really fly out of range.

Human introductions are the cause for weird gamefowl birds popping up. But your bird really doesn't look like any of the suspects - I stick with Northern Bobwhite - for which you are within range (although it may be "introduced" range).

 

[Jim M.]

All the drawings and photos I can find of juvenile Bobwhites show them to have either a light or dark eye stripe, reminiscent of the adults. (See here for example: http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/NDG/Quail/Bob/BRKBob.html ; also see the drawing in the National Geographic Field guide, fifth edition). I do not see any indication of that in these photos. So I guess I am not convinced of bobwhite yet, though on the other hand I do not have a strong alternative candidate at this point.

Best,
Jim

 

[birderbf]

I feel like I recognize this bird, but I can't match it. Perhaps an Upland Sandpiper Grasshopper Sparrow hybrid?

 

[ceasar]

National Geographic Complete BIRDS of North America, Edited by Jonathan Alderfer, notes at page 56 that the Northern Bobwhite has been introduced to northwestern North America and the distribution map on the same page shows a population in the Seattle area. Indeed, a good friend of mine who lives in the Darrington area on the Stillaguamish River has seen them on his property and has sent me photographs of them.

Also, on the same page, in the discussion of the Mountain Quail, there is a map that shows a small population of that bird in the Seattle area too. But with it's long head plumes, it is readily distinguished from the Bobwhite.

The California Quail is indigenous to NW and central Washington also. See page 55. It has a prominent large comma shaped head plume as a distinguishing feature.

Bob

 

[Jim M.]

National Geographic Complete BIRDS of North America, Edited by Jonathan Alderfer, notes at page 56 that the Northern Bobwhite has been introduced to northwestern North America and the distribution map on the same page shows a population in the Seattle area. Indeed, a good friend of mine who lives in the Darrington area on the Stillaguamish River has seen them on his property and has sent me photographs of them.

Also, on the same page, in the discussion of the Mountain Quail, there is a map that shows a small population of that bird in the Seattle area too. But with it's long head plumes, it is readily distinguished from the Bobwhite.

The California Quail is indigenous to NW and central Washington also. See page 55. It has a prominent large comma shaped head plume as a distinguishing feature.

Bob

Hi Bob,

Good points, but there are also a number of other possibilities. My range maps show Ring-necked Pheasant, Gray Partridge, Sooty Grouse, Ruffed Grouse, and Wild Turkey to be present in or very near that area. And there is also the possibility of exotic species or domestic hybrid/variants introduced for hunting purposes.

This photo of a juvenile Ring-necked Pheasant does not look that far off:

http://www.pbase.com/tgrey/image/29564197

Best,
Jim

 

[birderbf]

This photo of a juvenile Ring-necked Pheasant does not look that far off:

http://www.pbase.com/tgrey/image/29564197

Best,
Jim

Jim is on to something! It's probably of an age between the ones depicted in these two links:
http://www.pattybrdarphoto.com/USAHawaii/O_ae-R37-16a_BabyPheasantLarge.jpg
http://www.poultryhelp.com/RNchick2.jpg

 

[ceasar]

I agree that it's not likely to be a quail. The legs on the chick in thread 2 are too large to be those of a quail. I think it is too small to be a juv. Wild Turkey. To be a partridge, or grouse I would think that the area where it is located would have to be quite rural rather than suburban. More likely it is a pheasant. Maybe an escapee from a hobbyist? I have a friend who used to like to raise exotic pheasants on his small farm. Every now and then one would escape and interbreed with the pheasants the game commission stocked in the area and for a few years there were some rather colorful pheasants flying around his neighborhood!

Bob

 

[Jim M.]

Jim is on to something! It's probably of an age between the ones depicted in these two links:
http://www.pattybrdarphoto.com/USAHawaii/O_ae-R37-16a_BabyPheasantLarge.jpg
http://www.poultryhelp.com/RNchick2.jpg

I think your first photo is quite close. It puts me in the Ring-necked Pheasant camp more firmly. I think that is what it is.

Best,
Jim