I live outside of Farmington Missouri and witnessed a strange bird among my chickens and was hoping you could help me identify it. I have done some internet searching of photos of Prairie Chickens and Grouse, but they didn't seem to be good matches. Unfortunately, I do not have any photos. The bird was about half the size of my hens and happily pecking through the grass at the edge of my yard near the wood line along with a couple of my mixed bred chickens. As I approached the area, it seemed less afraid of me than the chickens I have raised. The bird was rather scrawny looking compared to my chickens, but stood two-thirds their height. It had several 2 inch long feathers that trailed from it's head that laid down along the neck. The feathers had a brown/off-white horizontal barred appearance. The tail was about 6 inches long with the same color & barred appearance. The wing feathers were mostly tan in color with some marbling of browns and dull yellows. There were some short, brighter yellow crown feathers on it's head that laid close to it's brow. The most noticeable feature was the amount of maroon or burgundy feathers on it's undersides and belly. This maroon color had no distinct pattern or shape. Parts of the breast and around the legs were just a plain brown. It was definitely chicken-like, not a woodcock, duck or goose. When it moved through the undergrowth it reminded me of a wild turkey. It moved very low to the ground with it's neck stretched out (in a bit of a hurry because I was following it to get a better look). If I had to make a guess, I would say it was a juvenile Greater Prairie-Chicken. It did not end up rousting with my chickens last night. We'll see if it's around this evening. Maybe I can get a picture.

Any Ideas?

Thanks,

Lowel