The California quail is a small land bird in the New World quail family. It is also known by other names such as valley quail, California Pollock (French), California quail (Spanish), California Partridge, crested quail, Quail Topknot Where California Valley Quail.
It is the state bird of California and was established as the state bird in 1932.
The hard-accented call of the hard-accented chi-ka-go is a common call of chaparral and other bushy areas of California and the Northwest.
These birds can often be seen in large flocks scraping the ground or scurrying on vague legs. They are common but discreet, they cover themselves easily if they are afraid (so approach them with caution).
California quails are popular with hunters. And they have been introduced to many other regions and countries around the world, including Argentina, British Columbia, Brazil, Chile, Europe, Hawaii, South Africa, Uruguay, and New Zealand. Learn more about this breed of quail below.
Characteristics of the California quail
The California quail is a very beautiful and cute bird. It is a round, bird-shaped soccer ball with a thick gray chest, intricate scales on the underside, and a curious forward plume on the head.
The curved crest or feather of these birds consists of six forward-drooping feathers (black in males and brown in females; the sides are brown with white streaks).
Immature birds and females are mostly gray-brown in color with a light belly. While the males have a dark brown crown and a black face with a brown back, light brown belly, and gray-blue chest.
The closest relative of these species is the Gumbel’s quail, which has a more southern distribution and a longer crest of 6.4 cm, a brighter head and a more scaly appearance.
California quails are plump birds with a short neck, small head and small beak. Their wings are short but very wide, with a wingspan of 32 to 37 cm, and their tail is quite long and square.
The average live weight of the California quail ranges from 140 to 230 grams. Photos and information from Wikipedia.
Advantages
California quails are kept primarily as pets or simply as a hobby.
Special Notes
The California quail is a terrestrial bird. And they spend most of their time on the ground, walking and stretching in search of food.
They usually forage under bushes or on open ground in the morning and evening. A dusty bath is part of their daily activities together.
They are very social birds and often gather in small groups called “flocks”.
California quails generally feed on the ground, often scratching the ground. Sometimes they can be seen feeding on the sides of the road.
Seeds and leaves are their main diet, but they also eat insects and berries. Pairs of California quail call antiphonically. This means that males and females have alternate calls.
The main breeding grounds of the California quail are the scrub and open forests of western North America.
The nest is a shallow hollow lined with ground vegetation under shrubs or other cover. The female California quail lays about 12 eggs (sometimes up to 28 eggs).
Once hatched, the young bond with both males and females. However, check out the full profile of this quail breed in the table below.
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| Breed name | California |
| Other names | Valley Quail, Colin de Californiana (French), Codorniz Californiana (Spanish), California Partridge, Tufted Quail, Topknot Quail or California Valley Quail |
| Purpose of the breed | Pets, hobbies |
| Special Notes | Very strong and hardy birds, usually strong birds on the ground, they spend most of their time on the ground, usually foraging under bushes or in the open ground in the morning and evening, dust bathing is one of their common activities daily, the birds are very sociable, often congregating in small groups called ‘berries“ |
| see | New World Quail |
| The weight | 140 to 230 grams |
| climatic tolerance | Virtually all climates |
| egg color | White to cream with various brown markings |
| Egg size/weight | 8 to 13g |
| Egg performance | Clutch size 12-16 eggs (sometimes up to 28 eggs) |
| skin color | Intense gray with markings |
| scarcity | general |
| Country/place of origin | UNITED STATES |
