I am also in Delaware (just a few blocks west of Mr. Froelich) and
also saw an unusual bird in my yard this weekend, which I was not able
to immediately identify.  I thought that it might have been a mourning
dove or pigeon when I first saw it from a distance.  It was sitting on
the ground and let me approach and I noticed upon closer inspection that
it was not the mourning dove I thought it was since the body shape was
off, it had a band of color around its eye and down its head and had a
curved beak.  I got right up to it before it hopped away- never flying,
only running off.  Having now looked online at pictures of a Chukar, the
facial markings and beak shape certainly seem to match what I saw.
Another neighbor had seen the bird in his yard on Friday and knowing
that I have some interest in birding described the bird in the same detail.
  The only discrepancy between my (somewhat shoddy) memory and the
pictures I've seen of Chukar is that I recall the beak being yellow, not
red.  Then again, I spent more than an hour looking through half a dozen
bird books for a bird that fit my observations and had a yellow beak and
there just wasn't one.  The photos of the Chukar (minus the beak issue)
match what I saw.  The bird did not make any vocalizations in the time I
observed it.
  Understanding that these birds are not known in this area, I would be
open to any thoughts about these multiple sightings in Delaware.

     Dave Hejmanowski


----- Original Message -----
From: August Froehlich <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Monday, June 11, 2007 9:58 am
Subject: [Ohio-birds] Quite odd new yard bird
To: [log in to unmask]

> Ohio Birders-
>
> I had a new addition to our plain and meager yard list yesterday. I
> live in
> downtown Delaware (Delorme B-1) and was working in my yard when I
> heardsomething that didn't belong. I went around to the front of
> the house to
> investigate and found a Chukar standing in the flowerbed. I got a
> few photos
> of it before it got tired of the attention and flew off.
>
> My house is maybe 3 miles from the Delaware Wildlife Area, and
> there was a
> big country/craft show at the Fairgrounds less than a mile away.
> I'm going
> to guess that one of those two places is short one bird. I still can't
> believe it.
>
> Now what will next take an interest in my yard....?
>
> August Froehlich
> Dublin OH
> Delorme D1
>
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