California Quail

Description: Notable characteristics of the California quail are the teardrop-shaped feathers, the plume extending from the front of the head, and the scaled pattern on the chest and belly. Both sexes are similar in color, with blue-gray chests and backs and brown-gray sides. Males have a longer plume than females and distinctive coloring on their heads: a rust crown, a black chin, and a white headband and chinstrap. The female head is the same blue-gray color as the body. Average size: 9-11 inches. Average weight: 6-7 ounces.

Science: These adaptable quail are found in areas with a consistent water source in the westernmost US states and in Baja California. They like valleys, low-lying mountain ranges, and foothills in elevations up to 4000 feet. They stay close to cover and spend their entire lives in an area of no more than twenty acres, though they’ll travel up to a mile to find denser cover in the winter. They eat seeds, fruits, leaves, grasses, and small grains such as wheat. They gather in coveys of up to fifty birds; wintering flocks can be as large as five hundred birds. Their call is a whistling “chi-CA-go.” The population fluctuates from season to season depending on rainfall, but is thought to be stable in the long-term.

Hunting: Most birds are hunted out of the edges of fields, in thickets, along creek bottoms, and in dense sage. In open cover, the birds tend to run instead of flush. Both pointing and flushing dogs are helpful; in vast areas, many hunters use four-wheel drive vehicles to spot coveys from the road. Coveys can sometimes be located with the use of a call. The eating quality is excellent: the meat is mild, tender, and has good flavor.