One of the regular Seward Park walkers found a mystery bird in the
northern part of the Seward Park peninsula late in the afternoon on
Thursday. It popped up out of the underbrush to perch in a cedar tree,
was the size of a large quail, and made no sound.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/513/fpvk.jpg/

The pic isn't that good, but check out the beak, the kind of speckled
back and the fluffy breast feathers. I've posted the image to another
natural history site where I'm active. Someone there suggested Sooty
Grouse, but the range map on Bird Web shows Sooty Grouse located
further up the foothills. I checked the Dusty Grouse range, too - their
year round range is a bit nearer to us. I can imagine a young grouse
getting trapped in a load of hay/wheat/produce from their usual
stomping grounds, escaping en route along I-90 and heading to the
biggest visible green area . Not to say that it's likely, but I can
imagine the possibility, right?

Fact is, we're all stumped enough to consider the possibility that it's
an exotic game bird that was recently dumped.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks,

Catherine Alexander
Lakewood Neighborhood
South Seattle