Saw a very unusual bird today, maybe someone will know what it was

[Elidor]

It was about the size of a good adult robin, but it was a baby, with light gray feathers that almost had a blue tint, and the cutest damn expression on its clueless face. It was fresh out of the nest and could only fly a couple of inches above the ground for about 10 feet.

He was sitting on one of the tires of my truck. He let me approach and hopped down to examine me. I was so close I could have scooped him up and taken him inside. But he had a stout little beak on him. I asked him if he could fly and he took off under the truck and bumped his little head. He wandered off almost drunkenly for a moment, then did a short experimental flight. He looked back at me, apparently surprised that he was successful.

I've seen a fair number of baby birds fresh out of the nest (what do they call them again?) but never one so very large. Half the size of my fist. What on earth was he? A bird of prey?

[BigMcLargehuge]

1. "fledgeling" is the term you're looking for

sounds like a baby barn swallow, though ours were gray.

[Elidor]

5. Ah, yes, thanks. That neuron was not firing.

[ChoralScholar]

2. could it be an

ALBATROSS? :) HAHAHAAAAA

Just kidding. My extent of expertise with birds is being able to correctly identify an animal as a bird 93/100 times.

[mitchtv]

3. a young mockingbird?

But, where are you?

[Elidor]

4. Oh, yeah, I'm in middle Tennessee

duh. I can't believe I left that out.

[slutticus]

6. Where in mid Tenn?

I grew up in Tullahoma .... :(

[izzie]

7. I ran into that in SC once. Really odd bird and I knew it was a baby.

Almost drove me nuts trying to find out what it was. Turned out to be a crane. People would roll their eyes when I would tell them what I saw.

[Elidor]

8. Cookeville