01/21/97, Kelly Cassidy writes:

<< Scaled Quail: "Premerly introduced in Yakima, Kittitas, Franklin, and
Grant counties, possibly elsewhere. The first introductions were prior to
1913 (Jewett et al. 1953). Declines in later years resulted in their
eventual extirpation in Wa. There are no confirmed records in recent years
and none known during the BBA period. Wahl and Paulson (1991) note that this
species was recorded at the Juniper forest in Franklin Co. in the 1970's and
formerly along Crab Creek near Beverly
(Grant Co.). Harris and Yocum (1952) provide confirmed breeding evidence
from Deadman Lake (Adams Co.) historically. Reports of this species can no
longer be accepted without photographic or specimen corroboration." >>

Hmm... Fascinating. Thanks Kelly for the citation from the Washington Gap
Breeding Bird Atlas. I presume from this that the LAST positive sighting of
a (wild) bird was at the Juniper Forest, Franklin Co, way back in the '70's.
Fine. So now I'm really curious about the Crab Creek bird in 1991. THAT
bird definitely WAS a Scaled Quail, but of course I could never prove or
provide acceptable documentation now. If the species is generally assumed to
have been extirpated from the Crab Creek area for 20 or 30+ years, with no
subsequent verifiable sightings over all this time, the most plausible
explanation for the 1991 bird suggests that it may have been an escape from
someone's private collection? I would seriously doubt a Scaled Quail could
go unnoticed in that area for so long if there were in fact a few "wild"
remnants from the original introduced stock still around.

Richard Rowlett <Pagodroma at aol.com>
Bellevue, WA