What kind of bird

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I copied one of your pictures and saved it to my photos. Then I used the Apple ID on my phone to look it up.
Options were Coturnix and Gray Partridge. I copied Gray Partridge. I think Steve nailed it. What do you think? Go to YouTube and look up Gray Partridge calls or sounds. There may be a video of their sounds.

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I was thinking it did look like the partridge, but when I look close it is not. This bird has a black beak. The quail have topknots and this bird does not. It sounds more like a quail when listening to bird sounds, more than the partridge. It does not have the white on its face like the bob white quail. I have quail in my yard a lot, but this bird I never heard before. It is so loud I have to close my window because it wakes me up around 4 in the morning. It might be making a different sound than the other quail because maybe calling to them. I sure never was woke up early in the morning because of quail. Young quail really move fast but this one moves different. I though at first maybe it was hurt, but that is not it. It was under the feeder a little bit ago with a dove eating.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I was out picking beans earlier and it was in front of me making all kinds of noise and not leaving. Later, I went out to pick squash and when I turned around, it was in the path behind me, like maybe following me. Never have the California quail got in the garden with me. They hear me coming and hurry up and leave. If I am quiet, I can see them with the babies, but slightest sound and they head for cover.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

If it is especially tiny, I think we need @Phaedra over here to tell us about Coturnix. That quail comes in many color patterns but they are tiny, tiny.

Not so small - Cornell says that the "tan to orange" face of a Gray Partridge (Hungarian, Hun) is a distinguishing characteristic (LINK above). It may be too young to have that color. Don't know about those birds but I have seen them in Kootenai County in the past.

Steve

I am not sure I would call it tiny. Looks close to it other than the black beak and no white on the head, but maybe they all do not have that.

 

[baymule]

Coturnix quail maybe? They come in a variety of colors, and are smaller than a Bob White.

 

[digitS']

Coturnix are listed at 2.5 to 5 ounces
California quail are 4.9 to 8.1 ounces

So, you see, the largest Coturnix is the size of the smallest California.

Larger Birds than California:
Chukars are 19 to 27 ounces
Gray Partridge are 13.6 to 17.6 ounces

There is the possiblity of a Ruffed Grouse at 15.9 at 26.5 ounces. We also have the Spruce Grouse of a similar size but it is a much darker bird.

It is usual for me to see Califrnia quail in and around the garden. There were quail about 50 yards from the garden this morning. There were babies - very tiny. The very first babies that I saw in 2023 were about 10 miles away and that was about 10 days ago.

Steve

 

[flowerbug]

it sounds very tame and is happy to be with you. i'd say enjoy the company.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

Coturnix are listed at 2.5 to 5 ounces
California quail are 4.9 to 8.1 ounces

So, you see, the largest Coturnix is the size of the smallest California.

Larger Birds than California:
Chukars are 19 to 27 ounces
Gray Partridge are 13.6 to 17.6 ounces

There is the possiblity of a Ruffed Grouse at 15.9 at 26.5 ounces. We also have the Spruce Grouse of a similar size but it is a much darker bird.

It is usual for me to see Califrnia quail in and around the garden. There were quail about 50 yards from the garden this morning. There were babies - very tiny. The very first babies that I saw in 2023 were about 10 miles away and that was about 10 days ago.

Steve

This one to me seems about the size of an adult California quail. I see them all the time and their tiny babies, but then I do not see them that often after they are a little bigger. I do not know where they go. Somebody showed me a link to a brown quail and it really looks like one and the sounds it makes, but it says they are from Australia. https://ebird.org/species/broqua1

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

it sounds very tame and is happy to be with you. i'd say enjoy the company.

It was out in the beans again tonight and about 2 feet away. I was talking to it and going chick chick chick and it does not run away, but my cat came to see, so I put him in the house for awhile.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

And now another bird story. LOL I was picking beans tonight and I heard a noise and right behind be was a half grown sparrow hanging upside down with its food caught in the fence. I am not sure if it just happened or had been there awhile. I was afraid I was going to break its leg, but I got its leg out and it flew away. So many birds out here learning to fly. They are lucky this cat is 16 years old.

 

[Phaedra]

@Phaedra 's

It also looks like a quail to me. But, I have very limited experience (only with our own quails). My quails are very sweet but have no chance to survive even in our garden.
Two weeks ago, we had a wind gust one day, and the wind just blew their mobile cage (which we used to let them enjoy some grass during the daytime). I didn't realize it immediately until I saw one Magpie squeezed into a Rhododendron bush and another was walking on the lawn not too far away. I was worried that the Magpie would hurt (baby) birds in the nests there and went out to take a look....holy shift, one escaped quail was almost killed - two holes in the neck, one smaller piercing wound on the body.

This was almost as terrible as when one hen was attacked by the sparrow hawk two years ago. I didn't know if that poor quail could make it, but after the hen's attack, I got my animal first aid box ready for such an accident. Thankfully she made it and started the process of returning the flock.