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The California Valley Quail
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. It is the state bird of California
These birds have a curving crest or "plume" that droops forward - black in
males and brown for 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 southernly distribution and a scalier appearance. The two species separated about 1-2 mya ago, during the Late Pliocene or Early Pleistocene(Zink & Blackwell, 1998).
The California Quail is a highly sociable bird that often gathers in small
flocks known as "coveys", and one of the daily communal activities is the taking
of dust baths. A family 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 1-2 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, and 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 3-6"
(7-15 cm) in diameter.
They are all-year 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 ColumbiaHawaii, Chile, 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. If startled, these
birds explode into short fast flight. Given a choice, they will normally make
their escape on foot.
Their breeding habitat is shrubby areas and open woodlands in western North America. The nest is
a shallow scrape lined with vegetation located on the ground under a shrub or
other cover. The female usually lays around 12 eggs. Once they are hatched, both
parents look after the young.
My Thoughts on Raising California Valley Quail.
The Valley Quail do better on the ground than on wire, due to their nervous nature. The ground however should be dry so a drier climate would work best. There are a lot of breeders that do raise these quail on wire, with success. I would recommend giving them a little more room than you would a Bob White or Coturnix.
This Quail will actively breed in captivity, their natural laying season is May through June. Incubation time 22 to 23 days using the same settings as for the Bob White Quail. Find all incubation temperature and humidity settings in the beginners guide.
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