California Quail - Sierra Club BC
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California Quail

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California Quail

Callipepla californica

Appearance 

California quails are medium-sized birds, growing to about 25 centimetres long. Adults have grey feathers on most of their body and a dark throat, bill and legs. They have a brown head, a white stripe across their throat and above their eyes, and adults have a question mark-shaped curl of feathers growing on the top of their head. 

Range & Habitat 

They are found along the west coast of North America, in Chile and New Zealand. They are native to the west coast of California, Oregon and Baja California, but they have been introduced to British Columbia, Hawaii, Chile and New Zealand as pets and as meat birds. California quails usually live in wooded or protected areas and are often found near streams and valleys. 

Reciprocal Relationships 

California quails are omnivores. These birds eat mostly plant seeds but will also eat fruit and insects. When they poop, quails help spread seeds they have eaten to expand the growth of plants in a community. These cute birds are quite small and blend in with their surroundings. They often run to escape predators instead of flying, and they have been recorded running at almost 20 kilometres per hour. In the fall and winter, California quails form large groups (over 1000 birds have been seen together) and in springtime start splitting off into pairs to mate.

California quails lay an average of 15 eggs in early summer and the eggs take just over 20 days to hatch. Both parents look after the eggs and the new chicks can run within an hour of hatching. Quails are threatened by hunting and capture. 

These birds are not native to B.C., hence their California quail name. When non-native birds become introduced, sometimes they can outcompete our native bird species for seeds, nuts and insects. However, this bird has created new food for predators in the area. While these birds hold little significance to First Nations in B.C., they are a very important species for the Ohlone people of California.  

Status 

COSEWIC: Not Reported 
CDC: Exotic 

More Information 

If you belong to a First Nation with a story or piece of information not represented here and you would like to share more about this species, please email us at education@sierraclub.bc.ca. 

Photo Credit

Canva

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