Lost Button Quail

[SavageChick]

Well, I did the unthinkable, most idiotic, thing I could do today. I was having some trouble sexing one of my button quail. So, in a moment of pure genius, I thought it would be a good idea to take a photo of it in natural sunlight...outdoors - while holding him in my hand.

Somewhere out in the field behind our house, there is a caramel-colored (possible male) button quail running around. I am thinking that one way to get it to fly back into our yard would be to transfer my other buttons into the outdoor pen during the day so that it can hear the other birds. Other than that, anyone else have any ideas on how I might be able to attract him back closer to home - at least close enough for another attempt to catch him? Probably won't ever see him/her again, so I'm not holding my hopes too high. Yet, if anyone has any ideas, I'm willing to try it.

 

[Sycamore27]

I would suggest moving your other quail into an outdoor cage and then checking after it gets dark to see if you can catch him trying to sleep close to the others. If you don't see him then, or if he gets away from you, check again in the morning just before it gets light.
A havahart live trap with a favorite treat might be a good idea too.

Good luck!
Jessie

 

[SavageChick]

Thank you for the suggestion, Jessie. I'll go ahead and move a few of my other birds outside to see if they call back and forth. I think I'll sit out there for a while later this evening to listen for any possible crowing as well, although I haven't heard him/her crow yet (which was part of my difficulty sexing it.) I hadn't thought about leaving the other birds out overnight and checking in the early morning hours (had planned on bringing them back inside), but maybe I will go ahead and leave one pair out there to see if one is able to attract him/her back. Sure hope it works - really feel bad losing a bird like this. I've seen my buttons fly before, but this one flew the length of a football field before I saw it finally land....just impossible to find him by sight in an overgrown field now.