Gambel’s Quail (Callipepla gambelii)

	General Description: Gambel's Quail (Callipepla gambelii) are plump ground birds. The sexes look different, although both are gray overall with brown sides that are streaked with white, and both have a short black plume feather on the forehead that bends forward. Males have a black face outlined in white, a red cap, and a black belly patch. Females have a gray head and face, and they lack the black belly patch. Favored Habitat: Shrubby desert scrub near water.
Gambel's Quail male.	Where to Find: Desert areas with springs such as Calico Basin and Willow Springs at Red Rock Canyon NCA can be good for finding quail in natural habitats, but they might be easier to find at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve and Sunset Park, and the trailer park at Boulder Beach. Comments: State wildlife officials build water catchments around the desert to provide water for quail and increase the number of quail available for hunting.
	Gambel's Quail female. Note the overall gray color, reddish-brown sides streaked with white, and the relatively small plume on the forehead.
	Gambel's Quail male and female. Note the black face patch surrounded by white on the face of the male.
	Typical behavior: an adult female Gambel's Quail stands guard on the lookout for monsters (e.g., coyote and Cooper's Hawks) while the rest of the covey feeds in the shrubs below.
	Covey of Gambel's Quail slinking from one Creosote Bush to another while evading a coyote (not in this photo).

Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
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© Jim Boone; Last updated 081008