Thanks to Philp Veerman, Harvey Perkins, Steve Holliday and John Layton
(in brand-new cowboy boots), who are unanimous in concluding that the
Mt Ainslie quail is almost certainly a Painted Button-quail. (Funny, it
looked real to me...)
John Brannan
I've had two similar fleeting
sightings - on the eastern path up Mt Majura in April, and last week on
the northern ridge of Mt Ainslie heading off to Mt Majura, just blow
the road up Mt Ainsie. In my case they scuttled off without flying.
Glenn Cocking
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Original Message -----
From:
To:
Sent:
Thursday, May 25, 2006 12:39 PM
Subject:
[canberrabirds] Quail on Mt Ainslie
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
--
36 Challinor Cres., Florey, Canberra ACT 2615, Australia
Ph.: (+612) 6258 6038 Fax: (+612) 6258 6238
--
36 Challinor Cres., Florey, Canberra ACT 2615, Australia
Ph.: (+612) 6258 6038 Fax: (+612) 6258 6238
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