My husband Bob was out pushing Katie on the swing this afternoon when he came in and yelled at me to grab the camera, there's a weird bird in the yard and it looks like a Kiwi! I thought, oh yeah, we've got an Australian bird here in our yard. Anyway, I grabbed the camera and he was under a very large Blue Spruce where it was nearly impossible to get a picture of him. I tried to get under it, not possible that just made him jump into the tree and move back towards the trunk where he was completely camouflaged by dead branches. I took a bunch of pictures and about poked my eye out at one point trying to get a clear shot of him...unfortunately this was the best i could come up with. Anyway, I came in and checked my bird books and did some googling and as near as I can tell this is a Virginia Rail, a wetland/marsh dwelling bird. How the heck he ended up in the middle of a cornfield in Iowa under my tree is a mystery to me. He runs pretty fast but we never saw him fly even when I was in pursuit of him in the tree he just stood there looking at me or hopped to another branch. I can't see any obvious injuries to his wings but since he's still sitting in my tree I can only guess he can't fly. We tried to get to him to take him out to the lake to give him a chance of hooking up with some other birds but we just can't get to him and don't want to take a chance on injuring him if he's not hurt. Any ideas what to do with a bird that obviously took a wrong turn on his way to someplace else???
P.S. Thanks so much for all your suggestions and comments. After doing some research and reading all your posts we decided to just leave him alone. He appears to be healthy and not injured so hopefully he'll move on to a place he's more suited to. I'll check later this morning to see if he's still sitting in the tree...maybe he travels at night.
UPDATE: Went out around 6:30 tonight (Monday) and we looked all over for him and I'm happy to say there was no sign of him. Hopefully he's on his way to a nice marsh someplace where he'll meet up with all his friends! :)
You might try contacting the Conservation Department and see what they say. Sometimes they have a person who fosters a bird until they are able to fly again.
Virginia Rail. Hmmm. Well, I'd feed him. Is he protecting a nest? Have his tail feathers been clipped. You say, "unfortunately" this is the best you could come up with... NOT!. The color and detail are fine!
Very interesting bird! Not sure regarding your question - it's a dilemma - interfere and move it somewhere else or let 'nature take its course' and hope it finds its way where it should be! I always give it a day or two and then see if it is still there and then decide.
Great bird shot! Do you have an aviary? They can tell you what to do.Pittsburgh has a National Aviary,the web site has a tab for injured or lost birds, just a thought.
what a pretty bird. We have a "wildlife care network" that covers more than just birds. Maybe call a veterinarians office & ask what services are available in your area. Hopefully the bird will be OK
Definitely Virginia Rail. When not migrating they are reluctant to fly, being good runners and usually hidden in reeds and vegetation bordering water. Probably exhausted and refueling while waiting for favorable weather conditions to move on.
I like how this looks like its got lipstick (beakstick) on. Fantastic detail, love the shining eye and colour complimentarity of this bird - beautiful and extraordinary tale/story.
Beautiful shot and nice commentary. It is human instinct to wish to help a bird that appears to be in difficulty, but nature usually knows best. I hope there was a successful outcome.
Wow! Very cool! I read that they rarely fly, even if pursued. So I doubt if he's injured, running is perfectly normal for these guys. My bird book says they are common, but rarely seen and their territory can stretch across most of the US, and even into Canad & Mexico. I don't think you need to worry about him - he'll find his way where he wants to go!
@cglist Thanks so much Cindy for taking the time to post this information! We decided to leave him alone since it appears he's not injured and they aren't noted for their strong flying skills. I haven't checked this morning to see if he's still there...hopefully he moved on during the night. My main concern was that he was injured because he just sat there and didn't try to get away from us! This bird is definitely not something we've ever seen around here before!
@robv Thank you Robert for confirming the Virginia Rail and for taking the time to post information about this bird. He definitely could run fast but he reminded me of a baby bird learning to fly...he would flap his wings but never really took flight. We decided to leave him alone so fingers crossed he'll move on and will make it to his destination. Sometimes it's hard not to interfere and try to save these wild creatures but more often than not it doesn't have a happy ending. Thanks again! :)
What a great experience. Hopefully he was just recharging batteries and will move on soon. This is a wonderful part of life. While I was mowing the lawn I scared up a male ringed neck pheasant and he ran across the fied next to my house. So beautiful. Thx for sharing this very interesting shot. RE: my reflections shot. I jsut bought a book on light and photography. I learned that people find warmer colors (red-yellow) more appealing and intimate. I had that in mind when I posted this shot and it seems to me people liked it partly for that reason.
What a great shot!!! Is he missing his tail, or is it just not in the picture, or does he not have one?!? He's beautiful!!! Let us know what happens next, if you find out...
Great story, Paula, but even greater photo. I think the crawling around on the ground was well worth it. The color and clarity here are outstanding and I love the light you have caught in his eye. Sure do hope he found some friends.
I was searching about the Silhouette cutter, sorry about that.
Anyway, Happy Mother's Day!