The California Quail (Callipepla californica), also known as the California valley quail or valley quail, is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. These birds have a curving crest or plume, made of six feathers, that droops forward: black in males and brown in females; the flanks are brown with white streaks. Males have a dark brown cap and a black face with a brown back, a grey-blue chest and a light brown belly.
Females and immature birds are mainly grey-brown with a light-colored belly. Their closest relative is Gambel's quail which has a more southerly distribution and, a longer crest at 6.4 cm, a brighter head and a scalier appearance. The two species separated about 1–2 million years ago, during the Late Pliocene or Early Pleistocene. It is the state bird of California.
Range map from www.oiseaux.net - Ornithological Portal Oiseaux.net
www.oiseaux.netis one of those MUST visit pages if you're in to bird watching. You can find just about everything there
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are seven recognized subspecies:
• C. c. achrustera (Peters, 1923) – San Lucas California Quail – southern Baja California
• C. c. brunnescens (Ridgway, 1884) – extreme northern coastal California to southern Santa Cruz County
• C. c. californica (Shaw, 1798) – northern Oregon and western Nevada to southern California and Coronado Islands
• C. c. canfieldae (Van Rossem, 1939) – Owen Valley quail – Owens Valley of east central California
• C. c. catalinensis (Grinnell, 1906) – Santa Catalina quail – Santa Catalina Island (off southern California)
• C. c. orecta (Oberholser, 1932) – Warner Valley quail – Warner Valley in Oregon to extreme northern California
• C. c. plumbea (Grinnell, 1926) – San Quintin California Quail – San Diego County to southern Baja California
Range of C. californica
By Olga007 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6565427
Behaviour The California Quail is a highly sociable bird that often gathers in small flocks known as "coveys". One of their daily communal activities is a dust bath. A group of quail will select an area where the ground has been newly turned or is soft, and using their underbellies, will burrow downward into the soil some one to two inches.
They then wriggle about in the indentations they have created, flapping their wings and ruffling their feathers, causing dust to rise in the air.
They seem to prefer sunny places in which to create these dust baths. An ornithologist is able to detect the presence of quail in an area by spotting the circular indentations left behind in the soft dirt, some 7–15 cm in diameter.
They are year-round residents. Although this bird coexists well at the edges of urban areas, it is declining in some areas as human populations increase. They were originally found mainly in the southwestern United States but they have been introduced into other areas including British Columbia, Hawaii, Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, South Africa, New Zealand, and to Norfolk Island and King Island in Australia. These birds forage on the ground, often scratching at the soil.
They can sometimes be seen feeding at the sides of roads. Their diet consists mainly of seeds and leaves, but they also eat some berries and insects; for example, Toyon berries are a common food source. If startled, these birds explode into short rapid flight, called "flushing". Given a choice, they will normally escape on foot.
Breeding Their breeding habitat is shrubby areas and open woodlands in western North America. The nest is a shallow scrape lined with vegetation on the ground beneath a shrub or other cover. The female usually lays approximately 12 eggs.
Once hatched, the young associate with both adults. Often, families group together, into multifamily "communal broods" which include at least two females, multiple males and many offspring. Males associated with families are not always the genetic fathers.
The egg of California Quail at the Jacques Perrin de Brichambaut
By Didier Descouens - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19379332
In good years, females will lay more than one clutch, leaving the hatched young with the associated male and laying a new clutch, often with a different associated male.
They have a variety of vocalizations including the social "chicago" call, contact "pips" and warning "pips". During the breeding season, males utter the agonistic "squill" and will often interrupt their social mate's "chicago" call with a "squill," a possible form of antiphonal calling.
State bird The California Quail is the state bird of California. It was established as the state bird in 1932.
Sighted: 24 October 2017 (Date of first photo that I could use)
Location: Tawharanui Regional Park
California Quail - Callipepla californica - Caskade Kuari - 27 October 2017
Male California Quail - Callipepla californica - Uretiti Bech Campsite - 30 October 2017
Female California Quail - Callipepla californica - Uretiti Bech Campsite - 30 October 2017
Male California Quail - Callipepla californica - Uretiti Bech Campsite - 30 October 2017
California Quail - Callipepla californica - Uretiti Bech Campsite - 30 October 2017
California Quail - Callipepla californica - Uretiti Bech Campsite - 30 October 2017
California Quail - Callipepla californica - Uretiti Bech Campsite - 30 October 2017
Going bird watching on New Zealand? I have been to a few places but so far New Zealand is outstanding regarding information on the internet. There are two organizations that are stickingout so far when it comes to information about birds and wildlife/ outdoor living. Bird information, bird song and maps. Yes, there are excellent trekking maps online so you can plan, or go back after the trek to see where you have been, excellent. I have not been disappointed.
• New Zealand's Department of Conservationwww.doc.govt.nzClick on “Nature” or just hoover with the mouse over the “Nature”
Many other places I have been to have excellent maps on site, but trying to find them onlinerendering nothing but disappointments. The New Zealand's Department of Conservation is the ONE STOP ONLY for everything regarding outdoor activities on New Zealand.
New Zealand Birds Online, there is everything you ever wish to know about the birds on New Zealand. Nothing less than fantastic. ClickHEREto down load Checklist of the birds of NZ from New Zealand Birds Online web pagenzbirdsonline.org.nz
One of the best web pages I have ever seen when it comes to birding. All the information you can ever ask for and a ONE STOP for all your needs before going bird watching on New Zealand. Range maps, sounds, information and bird lists, everything you need.
PLEASE! If I have made any mistakes identifying any bird, PLEASE let me know on my guestbook
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