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Gambel's Quail

Callipepla gambeliiOrder: GALLIFORMES Family: Quails (Odontophoridae)
Codes: Common Name: GAQU Scientific Name: CALGAM ITIS Taxonomic No.: 175877
Least Concern
 
Gambel's Quail: The male Gambel’s Quail has gray upperparts and breast, a black patch on the center of the abdomen, black head plume, black-and-white face, cinnamon crown, buff underparts, and streaked chestnut flanks.
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Overview

Gambel's Quail: Medium quail, gray upperparts and breast, scaled gray nape, black patch on center of abdomen, black head plume, white-bordered black face, cinnamon-brown crown, buff underparts, flanks streaked dark chestnut-brown and white. Alternates several stiff wing beats with short glides.

Range and Habitat

Gambel's Quail: Resident in the Sonoran desert of Arizona and Mexico, extending into southern New Mexico, up and down the Rio Grande, up the Colorado River drainage into Utah’s canyon country, and west to California and southern Nevada. Preferred habitats include brushy and thorny vegetation of southwestern deserts.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

"quoit", "oit", "chi-CA-go-go"

Interesting Facts

 Although the Gambel's Quail is adapted to living in a dry, desert environment, it reproduces best in years with adequate rainfall.

 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.

 This quail was named for William Gambel, the American naturalist and collector.

 A group of quails has many collective nouns, including a "battery", "drift", "flush", "rout", and "shake" of quails.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Splitbar
Range Map for Gambel's Quail

Related Birds

California Quail
Montezuma Quail
Mountain Quail
Northern Bobwhite
Scaled Quail
.
Family Pheasants, Quails and Partridges (Odontophoridae)_blue
Species Callipepla gambelii
Length11 Inches
Wingspan15 Inches

Gambel's Quail

Gambel's Quail: Medium quail, gray upperparts and breast, scaled gray nape, black patch on center of abdomen, black head plume, white-bordered black face, cinnamon-brown crown, buff underparts, flanks streaked dark chestnut-brown and white. Alternates several stiff wing beats with short glides.

● Song: "quoit", "oit", "chi-CA-go-go"

● Foraging & Feeding: Gambel's Quail: Eats mainly seeds and forbs, but also insects, spiders, and small reptiles; forages on the ground.

● Breeding & nesting: Gambel's Quail: Nine to fourteen brown spotted, buff eggs are laid in a ground scrape lined with grass, sticks, and feathers. Incubation ranges from 21 to 24 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Gambel's Quail: California Quail lacks black patch on abdomen, has dark brown crown black, prominently speckled white nape and sides of neck, and dull brown flanks.

Flight Pattern

Flies with explosive burst of speed over short distances., Alternates series of rapid stiff wing beats with short glides.
Gambel's Quail Male Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Gambel's Quail: Resident in the Sonoran desert of Arizona and Mexico, extending into southern New Mexico, up and down the Rio Grande, up the Colorado River drainage into Utah’s canyon country, and west to California and southern Nevada. Preferred habitats include brushy and thorny vegetation of southwestern deserts.
BreedingMonogamous, Gregarious.
Population
MigrationNonmigratory
Weight6 Ounces
Perching-like BodyX
UnderpartsX
Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.
UpperpartsX
Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.
BreastX
The upper front part of a bird.
CrownX
The crown is the top part of the birds head.
FaceX
The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.
NapeX
Also called the hindneck or collar, it is the back of the neck where the head joins the body.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX