California Quail, Callipepla californica

California Quail, Callipepla californica. Photo taken in the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, March 2017.

Background and Identification

The California Quail, Calllipepla californica, is a member of the Odontophoridae Family of New World Quail. The California Quail is a small, plump quail known for its striking plumage and distinctive topknot of feathers, called a plume or crest. This plume curves forward over the head. They are California’s state bird, inhabiting the entirety of the Golden State. They consume seeds, green leafage of legumes, annual grasses, and limited amounts of fruits and seeds of shrubs, buckbrush, poison oak, and buckwheat. In Mexico, they are known as Colín de California.

The California Quail is mid-sized, with an average length of 23 cm (8.1 inches) to 28 cm (11.0 inches) and an average mass of 140 g (4.9 oz) to 230 g (8.1 oz). The plumage of the California Quail is striking, and the sexes are dichromatic and slightly dimorphic. Males have a dark brown cap and a black face with a white border, while their body feathers are finely scaled with gray, brown, and black. The belly is marked with a chestnut patch. Females and immature birds are more muted in color, with brownish-gray tones and a smaller, less prominent plume. California Quails are social birds, aiding in identification. They are often seen in groups called coveys, including anywhere from a few to several dozen individuals.

Habitat and Geographical Range

California Quails are highly adaptable birds that inhabit many environments including chaparral, woodlands, coastal scrub, and suburban areas. They prefer areas with ample cover, such as shrubs and low vegetation, which protect them from predators and nesting sites. These birds are often found in agricultural lands, parks, and gardens. They are ground Dwellers, known for their quick and nervous movements around humans.

The California Quail is native to the western United States, particularly California. Its range extends from southern Oregon down through California and into Baja California, Mexico. In Mexico, they are found throughout Baja California and Baja California Sur at elevations below 2,800 m (9,200 feet). They have also been introduced to other areas, including Hawaii, Chile, and New Zealand, where they have established populations. They are a sedentary species, occasionally moving seasonally within their home range following nest and watering areas.

Common Misidentifications

The California Quail can sometimes be confused with other quail species, particularly the Gambel’s Quail, Callipepla gambelii, which has a similar size and shape but inhabits more arid regions. The key difference lies in their appearance: Gambel’s Quail has a plain, reddish-brown crown and a black patch on the lower belly, whereas the California Quail has a scaled pattern on its body and a more prominent, curved topknot. Gambel’s Quail is more common in states such as Arizona, where the climate is drier and hotter.

Conservation Status

From a conservation perspective the California Quail is currently considered to be of  Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. However, localized declines in some areas have been noted due to habitat loss from urban development, changes in agricultural practices, and increased predation by domestic cats and other introduced predators.