Gambel’s Quail, Callipepla gambelii

Gambel’s Quail, Callipepla gambelii, Female. Photograph courtesy of Dr. Tom Bartol, Carlsbad, California taken in the greater Salton Sea area of Southern California, January 2013.

Gambel’s Quail, Callipepla gambelii, Female. Photograph taken within a residential community in Hereford, Arizona, August 2022. Photograph and identification courtesy of Bob Behrstock, Sierra Vista, Arizona (naturewideimages.com).

Gambel’s Quail, Callipepla gambelii, Males. Photographs taken in Palm Desert, California. Photographs and identification courtesy of Julie McGhee, Riverside, California.

Gambel’s Quail, Callipepla gambelii, Male. Photograph taken within a residential community in Hereford, Arizona, August 2022. Photograph and identification courtesy of Bob Behrstock, Sierra Vista, Arizona (naturewideimages.com).

Gambel’s Quail, Callipepla gambelii, Male. Photograph taken Alamos, Sonora, January 20197. Photograph and  identification courtesy of David F Smith, Alamos, Sonora.

Background and Identification

Gambel’s Quail, Callipepla gambelii, is a member of the Odontophoridae Family of New World Quails. They are large in stature.

Habitat and Geographical Range

They are found in canyon areas of desert areas within cactus, shrubs and small trees adjacent to sources of water. They primarily feed on the ground consuming berries, leaves and seeds.

 In Mexico they are found in the Sonoran Desert and along the Pacific Slope in the States of Sonora and Sinaloa at elevations below 1,525 m (5,000 feet).

Common Misidentifications

Conservation Status

 From a conservation perspective Gambel’s Quail is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations.