Species: Callipepla californica
California Quail
Species
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Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Aves
Order
Galliformes
Family
Odontophoridae
Genus
Callipepla
NatureServe
Classification
Other Global Common Names
Codorniz Californiana - Colin de Californie
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Vertebrates - Birds - Other Birds
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Aves - Galliformes - Odontophoridae - Callipepla - unclear (Zink and Blackwell 1998). Formerly in family Phasianidae; placed in family Odontophoridae by AOU (1997).
Ecology and Life History
Migration
true - false - false - >
Non-migrant
true
Locally Migrant
false
Food Comments
Primarily vegetarian. Eats leaves, seeds (e.g., clovers, lupines, grasses, grains), acorns, and berries. In spring also eats tips of grasses and buds, as well as spiders, snails and insects (e.g., grasshoppers, ants, beetles).
Reproduction Comments
Breeding begins in Jan. in south to mid-May in north. Females incubate 12-17, sometimes 6-28, eggs for 21-23 days. The precocial nestlings are active soon after hatching and are tended by both parents.
Ecology Comments
Highly gregarious, especially in fall and winter. In fall, family groups join and form coveys of 10-200 birds, which usually disband by late April. Predators include hawks, owls, snakes, coyotes.
Length
25
Weight
176
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G5
Global Status Last Reviewed
1996-11-25
Global Status Last Changed
1996-11-25
Other Status
LC - Least concern
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
<img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.BC=SE&US.AZ=SE&US.CA=SNR&US.HI=SE&US.ID=SE&US.MT=SE&US.NV=S5&US.OR=SE&US.UT=SE&US.WA=SE" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
Global Range
RESIDENT: southern Oregon and western Nevada south to southern Baja California. Apparently introduced into southern British Columbia, Washington, Idaho, northern Oregon, and Utah. Also introduced in Hawaii (Kauai, Maui, Lanai, Hawaii), on Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa islands (California), central Chile, Australia, and New Zealand.