I flushed a small quail on a
steep and rocky wooded slope near the top of Mt Ainslie the other day
and I'm wondering what would be the most likely ID. It was slightly
smaller than the Brown Quail I've seen at Lake Ginninderra and much
more heavily marked, with dark brown and pale stripey markings on the
head and back. Its flight seemed less explosive than the BQ with softer
and possibly less rapid wingbeats. Unfortunately, it disappeared into
the undergrowth before I was able to get the binos on it. Stubble Quail
seems the most likely possibility, but my books say that they are
grassland birds, so the top of Mt Ainslie is hardly typical terrain.
Any chance this could have been one of the Button-quails?
John Brannan
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36 Challinor Cres., Florey, Canberra ACT 2615, Australia
Ph.: (+612) 6258 6038 Fax: (+612) 6258 6238
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