Male
  • Male
  • Female with chick.

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California Quail

Callipepla californica
Galliformes
This group, the "chicken-like" birds, consists of medium to large terrestrial birds. They are quick flyers, better adapted for short bursts of speed than sustained flight. They are fast runners and spend much of their time on the ground. Washington has two families:
Odontophoridae
Similar to their larger cousins, the grouse, members of the quail family are mostly non-migratory, ground-dwelling birds. Most inhabit early-successional brushy areas. Omnivores, quail eat mostly vegetative matter in winter, and switch to invertebrates in the summer. Pairs are typically monogamous. In the non-breeding season, small flocks called "coveys" gather together. The young are precocial, able to walk about and feed themselves almost immediately after hatching. This enables quail to have large clutches of young.
Common resident east. Fairly common west.

    General Description

    The 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.

    Habitat

    California Quail are most often found in edge habitat with food-producing plants and shrubs for cover. Many forest types provide such habitat at their edges, as do steppe zones, low- to mid-density residential areas, parks, roadsides, and traditional agriculture.

    Behavior

    California Quail are predominantly ground dwellers, although the males spend much time off the ground in bushes, trees, and on manmade structures, especially when calling. They live in groups called 'coveys' that move about within a home range during the non-breeding season. During the breeding season, coveys break up into breeding pairs that spread out across the home range to nest.

    Diet

    In Washington, California Quail rely heavily on seeds, especially those from legumes. They will also eat leaves, fresh shoots, berries, acorns, and insects.

    Nesting

    Ground nesters, California Quail usually find a spot under a shrub or brush-pile or next to a log or other cover where they build a shallow depression lined with grasses and leaves. Sometimes they nest above ground, on a broken branch or in the old nest of another bird. Females lay and incubate a clutch of 10-16 eggs. Although the young are able to walk about and feed themselves almost immediately after hatching, both parents continue to tend to them, the female brooding them at night and in cold weather, and the male acting as a sentry, watching for danger.

    Migration Status

    Although the California Quail is a permanent resident, it moves seasonally within its home range.

    Conservation Status

    The California Quail was introduced into Washington from the southwestern United States. It adapts well to encroaching human populations and is often found in wooded suburbs and city parks, where it is subject to predation by cats. Changing habitats that increase edge and maintain early successional habitat benefit the quail. Conversion of small farms to large agribusiness without hedgerows has a negative impact on the population.

    When and Where to Find in Washington

    California Quail are common and widespread in Washington. They are found in shrubby areas, farmlands, residential areas, and city parks. In western Washington, they can be found in the Puget Trough south to the Willamette Valley, in the San Juan Islands, and on the Olympic Peninsula in Sequim. In eastern Washington, they can be found in most areas with water below the lower tree line. In the Blue Mountains, the species is expanding up creek and river valleys. They are absent from the vast tracts of dry wheat and from the moist river valleys in the northeast corner of the state.

    Abundance Code DefinitionsAbundance

    C=Common; F=Fairly Common; U=Uncommon; R=Rare; I=Irregular
    EcoregionJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
    Oceanic
    Pacific Northwest CoastRRRRRRRRRRRR
    Puget TroughFFFFFFFFFFFF
    North Cascades
    West CascadesFFFFFFFFFFFF
    East CascadesCCCCCCCCCCCC
    OkanoganCCCCCCCCCCCC
    Canadian RockiesCCCCCCCCCCCC
    Blue MountainsUUUUUUUUUUUU
    Columbia PlateauCCCCCCCCCCCC

    Washington Range Map

    North American Range Map

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    Federal Endangered Species ListAudubon/American Bird Conservancy Watch ListState Endangered Species ListAudubon Washington Vulnerable Birds List

    View full list of Washington State's Species of Special Concern