California Quail

The California Quail is a familiar and beloved bird of the West Coast, easily recognized by the single, forward-curving black plume nodding from the top of its head. Males have a bold black face outlined in white, a bluish-gray chest, and a warm brown back, with the belly finely scaled in black and white. Females are more subdued in soft grayish-brown tones, with a smaller plume, but share the same overall shape and scaled belly pattern. Highly social, California Quail are usually seen in tight groups, running rather than flying when disturbed.

Key Field Marks

• Distinctive forward-drooping black plume (topknot) atop the head
• Male: bold black face bordered in white, bluish-gray chest, scaled black-and-white belly
• Female: plainer grayish-brown overall with a shorter plume
• Plump, round body and short tail

Similar Species

• Gambel's Quail looks similar but has a plain buffy belly without scaling, and males have chestnut side patches with white streaks.
• Scaled Quail has a white, bushy crest rather than a single curved plume, and a scaled pattern that covers the whole body.

Habitat

California Quail favor chaparral, coastal scrub, oak woodland edges, agricultural areas, and increasingly, parks and gardens with dense shrubby cover.

Range

They are native to California and adjacent parts of Oregon, Nevada, and Baja California, and have been successfully introduced to other parts of the western United States, Hawaii, and beyond.

Migration

California Quail are nonmigratory, remaining resident year-round, though coveys may move short distances seasonally in search of food and water.

Behavior

Highly social, California Quail typically forage and roost in coveys of a dozen or more birds, running quickly through underbrush and preferring to escape danger on foot before flushing explosively into short flight as a last resort.

Voice

The well-known assembly call, often rendered as "chi-CA-go," is used to gather scattered covey members; a variety of other clucks and contact calls are also given.

Feeding

They forage on the ground for seeds, leaves, berries, and insects, often scratching through leaf litter and typically staying close to dense cover for quick escape.

Nesting

A shallow, grass-lined scrape is built on the ground, usually hidden beneath a shrub or other dense vegetation, and pairs may raise a single large brood each season.