Hello All… By now many of you may have heard via
private e-mails, texts, Facebook groups, etc. that the Yellow Rails, recently
located in Knox County near the home of Junior Nisley, may really be Button
Quail, a rather popular caged bird that is about the same size as YERA. These
birds (as many as 3) have been heard and seen when they become more active, at
about 8:20 PM. Light conditions at this time of day are not good enough for seeing
ID field marks, but the silhouettes in flight might give you the impression that
the size is about right, and many also noticed 'dangling legs' as well. The
occasional vocalizations are somewhat like an 'alternate' call that can be
found on the Sibley phone app, and a couple of birders also reported that they
had heard the rapid 'clicking' call that is sometimes heard during the Spring
migration of this species. And so many things seemed to 'fit' for a positive
Yellow Rail ID. Things that didn't quite seem to fit were the number (3 of
them?), the alternate call, and their flying about. But what else could they be?
The call wasn't right for Black Rail, Sora, or Virginia Rail. 
Well, last night
(the 3rd night for many observers), one of the birds flew and then landed in an
area of the sorghum field where it was located and surrounded by birders. A
flashlight provided good looks and some photographs of this bird were also taken and can be found on the Facebook groups. The bird didn't have the field marks of a Yellow Rail, but what was it? Later,
a young Amish boy mentioned that it looked like the Button Quail that a
neighbor was raising, and some quick google searches verified that it was
indeed a Button Quail. 
Mystery solved? Well, perhaps, as it seems
very unlikely that both Yellow Rail and Button Quail would be occupying this
same sorghum field 'niche'. Other birders are returning again tonight for more
possible looks and also to try for some recordings of their vocalizations. As
for 'counting' this as a Yellow Rail for your County, State, Life, or other
lists, this decision, as always, should be a personal one.
Good Birding,
Dan Sanders

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