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 ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]