SFVAS’s Bird of the Month for November is the California quail!
If you spend any time hiking around Los Angeles, you’ve probably seen California quail. These plump, ground-dwelling birds with their distinctive bobbing head plumes are common in local coastal sage scrub and chaparral, including Griffith Park, the Santa Monica Mountains, and the San Gabriel foothills.
For most of the year, they travel in groups called coveys, foraging for seeds, greens, and insects. They’re strong runners and prefer sprinting into the brush in single file over flying.While the group feeds, a sentinel bird typically perches on a nearby fence post or branch, calling out a three-note whistle that sounds like “Chi-ca-go.”
In spring, pairs separate to nest on the ground beneath low shrubs.
Clutches are large, often a dozen eggs or more, and the chicks are mobile within hours of hatching, following their parents immediately.
Fun Fact: California designated this species as the official state bird in 1931.
