Odd visitor

LeoC2

LeoC2

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I have an odd visitor hanging around my house. It's about half the size of a chicken, plump, short beak, yellowish legs, blazingly fast runner but walks like a chicken or pigeon, no tail, seems flightless. Somewhat tame, walks right up to me but if I move to touch it it runs away. My reference bird book has no bird in it that looks like this. Anyone here know what this is?
 

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My sis-in-law is an avid watcher...lives up-state from you Leo. I copied your post and sent it to her to see if she could figure it out......will respond after she does.
 
I might be wrong, but I am going to guess SPRUCE HEN. :wave: It sure looks quite similar to the birds I saw on a Canada fishing trip once. IIRC, this is what my buddy called them. Whether this is the same bird or not, I'm not exactly sure. But there's my guess. :)
 
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KStromberg said:
I might be wrong, but I am going to guess SPRUCE HEN....
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Don't think so, I just looked at a pic of a Spruce hen and it looks very similar except the Spruce Hen has a pronounced upward pointing tail while this guy has no visible tail at all.
 
it looks like a new-zealand weka bird
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jamies98lsc said:
it looks like a new-zealand weka bird
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Very similar but my visitor has yellow legs and a much smaller chicken like beak. I thought maybe Guinea Hen but none of the pictures come close enough. Here's another shot but a bit blurred cause it was moving so fast.
 

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From what I've been reading, there are no flightless birds that are native to North America. The fact that it's not afraid of you makes me think perhaps it's been in captivity. Maybe it escaped from a zoo? Might not hurt to send the photo to their ornithology department.
 
That was going to me guess. It looks like a baby pheasant, which we have a ton of here.
 
Doubtful it's a pheasant, more likely it's a Quail or Grouse. Every time I think I have it ID'd the yellow legs throw me off.
 
Wait snipes are real!? When I was little I got tricked into going snipe hunting which xamping near the ocean...I never found one. Lol
 
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