Gambel's Quail

Callipepla gambelii Gambel's Quail
Male Gambel's Quail in Joshua Tree National Park
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Galliformes
Family:	Odontophoridae
Genus:	Callipepla
Species:	C. gambelii
Binomial name
Callipepla gambelii Gambel, 1843

The Gambel's Quail, Callipepla gambelii, is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. It inhabits the desert regions of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Texas, and Sonora; also New Mexico-border Chihuahua and the Colorado River region of Baja California. The Gambel's quail is named in honor of William Gambel, a 19th century naturalist and explorer of the Southwestern United States.

Description

The Callipepla gambelii birds are easily recognized by their top knots and scaly plumage on their undersides. Gambel's quail have gray plumage on much of their bodies, and males have copper feathers on the top of their heads, black faces, and white stripes above their eyes. The bird's average length is 11 inches (30 cm) with a wingspan of 14-16 inches (35–40 cm). These birds have relatively short, rounded wings and long, featherless legs. Its diet consists primarily of plant matter and seeds.

Gambel's quail can be commonly confused with California Quail due to similar plumage. They can usually be distinguished by range, but when this does not suffice, California quail have a more scaly appearance and the black patch on the lower breast of the male Gambel's Quail is absent in the California Quail. The two species are sister taxa which diverged during the Late Pliocene or Early Pleistocene, 1 to 2 mya (Zink & Blackwell, 1998).

Taxonomy

Subspecies

There are two recognized subspecies:

• C. g. fulvipectus (Nelson, 1899) - Fulvous-breasted Quail - southeast Arizona and southwest New Mexico to southern Sonora in Mexico
• C. g. gambelii (Gambell, 1843) - nominate - Utah and Nevada through Mojave Desert to Colorado, northestern Baja California and Tiburón Island

Behavior

Gambel's quail primarily move about by walking and can move surprisingly fast through brush and undergrowth. They are a non-migratory species and are rarely seen in flight. Any flight is usually short and explosive, with many rapid wingbeats, followed by a slow glide to the ground.

One male and four juveniles in Tucson, Arizona, USA

In the late summer, fall, and winter, the adults and immature young congregate into coveys of many birds. In the spring, Gambel's quail pair off for mating and become very aggressive toward other pairs. The chicks are decidedly more insectivorous than adults, gradually consuming more plant matter as they mature. Gambel's quail are monogamous and rarely breed in colonies. The female typically lays 10-15 eggs in a simple scrape concealed in vegetation, often at the base of a rock or tree. Incubation lasts from 21–24 days, usually performed by the female and rarely by the male. The chicks are precocial, leaving the nest with their parents within hours of hatching.

Relationship with humans

There is an annual hunt for this bird in some places. The hunting season usually lasts from October to February.

Gallery

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  A pair at Indianapolis Zoo
  (male on left and female on right)

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  Male in Tucson, Arizona, USA

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  Adults with chicks

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  Female

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  Male in Joshua Tree National Park

References

• BirdLife International (2004). Callipepla gambelii. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern

• "Callipepla gambelii". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=175877. Retrieved 9 February 2006. 

• Thomson, M. (2001): Callipepla gambelii. In: Animal Diversity Web. Accessed September 26, 2006

• Zink, Robert M. & Blackwell, Rachelle C. (1998): Molecular systematics of the Scaled Quail complex (genus Callipepla). Auk 115(2): 394-403. PDF fulltext

External links

• Gambel's Quail videos (Tree of Life)
• Gambel's Quails Breeding
• Gambel's Quail videos on the Internet Bird Collection
• Gambel's Quail Photographs South Dakota Birds and Birding
• Stamps (for Mexico, United States) with RangeMap
• Gambel's Quail photo gallery VIREO: 2nd includes-egg clutch