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Of all the birds native
to the sate of California, none is more universally
enjoyed and appreciated than the California Valley
Quail. The handsome plumage, pert demeanor, and
melodious calls are appealing to everyone fortunate
enough to know the species, and is it is not
surprising that in 1931 the State Legislature by
unanimous acclamation declared the California quail to
be the State Bird of California (Leopold, 1977). This
attractive bird is known by many names, including,
California partridge, Catalina quail, Topknot quail
and Valley Quail. It is known commonly in
California as the Valley quail, to distinguish it from
the Mountain quail; but ornithologists now recognize
two subspecies, the California quail and the Valley
quail, both entirely distinct from the Mountain quail
(Forbush, 1917).
The range of this quail is made
up of varied topography and climatical conditions.
It is found from Baja California, Mexico, up through
the western states into Canada. Its eastward range
goes as for as Nevada, Utah and Idaho with
introductions in Colorado.
In captivity, the California
quail is one of the easier quail to get to breed.
They are by nature very nervous and thus do not do as
well in small cages as some of the other quail. It is
believed they do much better on the ground if you have
a drier climate or if you make dry ground available
for them. Many are raised on wire every year so there
is no hard rule about them.
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| Copyright 2005 | That Quail
Place - All Rights Reserved |
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The
California Valley Quail