ANIMAL:Gambel’s Quail Callipepla gambelii
Type of Animal:
Gamebird
Habitat:
Deserts/semi-deserts (especially w/ brushy/thorny vegetation), shrubby desert/semi-desert, desert/semi-desert areas w/ low trees, cultivated communities, river valleys, desert/semi-desert mountain foothills (up to 5,400 ft), plains, scrub, creeks, washes, arroyos, springs, seeps, drainges, chaparral, irrigation ditches, brush-lined river channels, brushy fencelines edging irrigated fields, riparian areas, oak woodlands in high desert/semi-desert/mountains, canyons, dense saltbush/saltcedar/arrowwood/mesquite thickets, suburbs, desert/semi-desert streams, waterholes, scrubby desert/semi-desert, scrub forest, xeric shrubland, brushy riparian woodland, stock tanks w/ shrubs nearby, semi-desert/desert grassland (w or w/o scrub vegetation), agricultural field edges, mountainous areas adjacent to desert/semi-desert, pine forest
Location(s):
SE California, far S Nevada, S Utah, parts of S Colorado, W & S Arizona, New Mexico, far SW Texas, NW & far N Mexico. Introduced in Kahoolawe & Lanai islands in Hawaii, part of E Idaho, & San Clemente Island, California.
Appearance:
Male has bright rufous crest, black comma-shaped topknot, chestnut flanks striped w/ white, creamy belly w/ black patch, more colorful face, females grayer than males w/ lighter topknot, males almost have gray w/ hint of blue, both sexes plump w/ small bills/short necks/square tails
Food/Diet:
Seeds, leaves, grains, grasses, flowers, buds, shoots, cacti, berries, fruits, herbacerous plants, bindweed, nuts, insects, small worms, spiders
Status in Wild:
Stable
Conservation:
Breeding in zoos
Lifestyle:
Groups called coveys range from 8-25 birds
Additional Info:Called:
Male: Cock
Female: Hen
Young: Chick
Group: Covey
Weight:
Male: 6-7 oz
Female: 5.6-6 oz
Gestation:
3 weeksLife Span:
1.5 years in wild, 3-4 years in captivity
Height:
Male: 12 in
Female: 11 in
Body Length:
Male: 12 in
Female: 11 in
Tail Length:
Male: 3.9 in
Female: 3.7 in
Main predators of adults are cats, bobcats, coyotes, raptors, snakes, bears, foxes, raccoons, opossums, gila monsters, pigs, skunks, & cotton rats. Ground squirrels & roadrunners eat chicks.
They spend most of their time on the ground
They’re non-migratory.
They’re active during the day (diurnal).
Sexually mature at 6 months old.
Usually feed twice a day.
Often lays 2 broods of 5-16 eggs a year.
Fun Fact(s):
Very similar-looking to California Quail, sometimes hybridizing w/ them in areas of range.
Named for American naturalist William Gambel.
Highly popular birds to hunt.
They rarely fly except to roost in low trees, preferring to run from danger. They can also remain motionless & rely on camouflage.
