California Quail

These birds have a curving crest or plume, made of six feathers, that droops forward: black in males and brown for females; the flanks are brown with white streaks. Males have a dark brown cap and a black face with a brown back, a grey-blue chest and a light brown belly. Females and immature birds are mainly grey-brown with a light-colored belly. Their closest relative is Gambel's Quail which has a more southerly distribution and, a longer crest , a brighter head and a scalier appearance. The two species separated about 1-2 million years ago, during the Late Pliocene or Early Pleistocene.

The California Quail is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

The California Quail is a highly sociable bird that often gathers in small flocks known as "coveys". One of their daily communal activities is a dust bath. A group of quail will select an area where the ground has been newly turned or is soft, and using their underbellies, will burrow downward into the soil some one to two inches. They then wriggle about in the indentations they have created, flapping their wings and ruffling their feathers, causing dust to rise in the air. More

The California Quail is a handsome, round soccer ball of a bird with a rich gray breast, intricately scaled underparts, and a curious, forward-drooping head plume. Its stiffly accented Chi-ca-go call is a common sound of the chaparral and other brushy areas of California and the Northwest. Often seen scratching at the ground in large groups or dashing forward on blurred legs, California Quail are common but unobtrusive. They flush to cover if scared, so approach them gently. More

California QuailThe California quail is a small, plump bird with a short black beak. The male has a gray chest and brown back and wings. It has a black throat with white stripes and a brown cap on its head. The female has a gray or brown head and back and a lighter speckled chest and belly. Both the male and the female have a curved black crown feather on their foreheads. The male's crown feather is larger than the female's. More

1: Male California quail in the Presidio, San Francisco (photo by J. McIlvaine) Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Galliformes Family: Odontophoridae Genus: Callipepla Species: Callipepla californica Description of Species The California quail, California More

* American Bird Guide (2005): California Quail by Retrieved 2006-SEP-26. * Jennifer D. Calkins, Julie C. Hagelin and Dale F. Lott (1999) The California Quail (Callipepla californica). In The Birds of North America, No. 473 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. * C. Michael Hogan (2008) Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), GlobalTwitcher, ed. N. More

The California Quail is native to the United States, Mexico and Canada. It is thought to be extinct in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but has been introduced to Chile, Australia and New Zealand. The range of this bird is around 1 million square kilometers and it has a global population nearing 1 million individual birds. At the current time this bird is rated as Least Concern as there are no immediate concerns regarding the range of the population of the California Quail. More

Picture of a male California Quail about to take offDiet of the California Quail The California Quail eat mainly seeds which they peck and scratch from the ground like chickens. They like legume (Pea family) seeds. Some of their favorite legumes to eat are lupines including Sky lupine, Lupinus nanus and other Lupine species. They consumes many other seeds as well. They like Sages, Salvia spp especially Salvia 'Pozo Blue'. The sages provide good cover for the quail to hidein tool. More

The California quail is sometimes called the California partridge, Catalina quail, or valley quail. The plumage on its head gives it the names helmet quail and top-knot quail. The California quail is a small (9 More

As the state bird of California, the California quail is aptly named. These plump birds are a treat to watch in the backyard or local parks as they dash across open areas with comical precision. More

Bent Life History for the California Quail - the common name and sub-species reflect the nomenclature in use at the time the description was written. CALIFORNIA QUAIL LOPHORTYX CALIFORNICA CALIFORNICA (Shaw) HABITS The type race of this species originally inhabited the narrow strip of humid coast region from southwestern Oregon south to southern Monterey County, Calif. It has been introduced on Vancouver Island and in Washington, where it has become well established. More

Jump to:navigation, search The California Quail is the official state bird of California. This list of California birds is a comprehensive listing of all the bird species seen naturally in the U.S. state of California as determined by the California Birds Records Committee (CBRC). There are, as of 2007, 634 species on this list. Fifteen of these species are introduced (I)–species that are non-native to California but now have established populations. More

North American RangeThe California Quail is a gray, ground-dwelling bird, more slender than most other quail. It has a light breast with scaled patterning, white streaks along brown sides, and black and gray scaling on the nape of the neck. The female has a tan head with a small feather plume. The male has a bold black face outlined in white, with a brown crown and a pendulous feather plume hanging forward from his forehead. More

Cool Fact: The fossil record of California Quail is more comprehensive than for any other bird species of the western United States. Listen to a recording (Real Audio) of the California Quail from the Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds. California Quail Common, conspicuous, and unmistakable within its range, the California Quail is a familiar sight amid the semiarid scrublands of the western United States. More

What are California Quail doing in Utah? Every winter the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources traps hundreds of California quail for relocation. People are often concerned about the safety of the birds and what we do with them. This brochure will inform you about the procedures we use, and give other relevant information about the California Quail. More

The California Quail is probably one of our most adored native birds. Those folks who have the proper habitat for quail and watch them on a regular basis will bore you to death with the stories of "what their covey did today". Avid quail watchers are kind of like proud grandparents showing off photos of the grandkids. The California Quail is our State Bird. This designation came about in 1931. More

California QuailTheir closest relative is Gambel's Quail which has a more southernly distribution and a scalier appearance. The two species separated about 1-2 mya ago, during the Late Pliocene or Early Pleistocene (Zink & Blackwell, 1998). The California Quail is a highly sociable bird that often gathers in small flocks known as "coveys", and one of the daily communal activities is the taking of dust baths. More

can find California quail, as well as mountain quail in higher elevations. Some areas are always better for one species or the other, so it pays to get out and scout before the season. Areas worth exploring include the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness Area and the Modoc National Forest, particularly in the lower elevations. More

Anatomy: The California Quail is 9-10 inches (23-25.5 cm) long. It has a short, black bill. The quail has a tall, forward-pointing head plume. The flanks (sides) are brown with white streaks. The male has a black throat and a black face bordered by a white streak; there is also a white forehead. The female is duller and lacks the distinctive head markings. Diet: This birds mostly eats seeds and leaves. It will also eat insects. More

California quails live on the ground. Their preferred landscapes are grasslands, woodlands, foothills, canyons and the edges of deserts. California quails enjoy places with plenty of brush around. The birds cover an area of the southwestern United States as well as Hawaii, British Columbia, Chile, New Zealand, Oregon and Australia's King Island. More

California, the California quail is monitored by the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) as part of its program to manage harvest species (CDFG 2004d). Proposed Action Criteria: Habitat type(s): Shrublands (west-slope chaparral). Forests species occurs on: All forests. Criterion I.A. Yes. Based on CWHR, this species, this species is linked to shrublands (west-slope chaparral). Criterion I.B. Yes. More

California Quail in Moscow - Snowberries photo A male California quail takes his turn standing guard while his large family pecks at seeds on the ground. Both sexes have the topknot, but the females’ is smaller. More

The California Quail and over 500,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle – Amazon’s new wireless reading device. Learn more Quantity: or Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering. or Amazon Prime Free Trial required. Sign up when you check out. More

Lophortyx californicus The California quail, the state bird of California, is also known as valley quail. Found in a wide range of habitat zones. Prefers mixed woodlands, chaparral and grassy valleys of Baha, California, Oregon, Washington into British Columbia, and extending into several bordering states. Male has black throat and faced bordered by white bands, white forehead. Female is duller, lacks head markings. Both sexes have forward curving distinctive plume or top knot. More

the Abundance of California Quail on Santa Cruz Island. Abstract * Click on the following to download * Not ready for prime time yet Loo Botsford Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology University of California Davis, California 95616 USA lwbotsford@ucdavis. More