Ann, it was just playing possum. This, however, is the first time I have seen one laid out like that. Normally the babies sit on their knees and lay forward to play hide in the open. The adults usually stand motionless. They give a low grating call if you get too close but if you do not heed, they then scream and hold their wings out stretched and tail fanned. This increases their size about 10-fold. The act scares dogs senseless and me too.
They can fly very well but prefer to run. They are nocturnal and roost during the day, usually in the shade of a bush or tree.
