Answer: They were first introduced from California in 1869.
Each winter the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources traps hundreds of California quail for relocation. People are often concerned about the safety of the birds and what we do with them.
What makes it a "California" quail?
When most people think of quail, a small, plumed bird probably comes to mind. Only California and Gambel's quail have that comma-shaped plume, and since they live in similar habitat, you have to look for small variations in plumage to tell them apart. The top of a California male's head is black, where the Gambel's is chestnut brown. Gambel's quail have a large black spot below a buff stripe on their lower abdomen where California quail have rich brassy and copper colored feathers.
Both California and Gambel's male quail have white brow and "jaw" stripes against a black face. Their upper breast is light blue, and they have olive grey wings and backs with white flecked sides. Females have no face mask, and are drab on the breast and abdomen for better camouflage when sitting on nests. These quail range in size from 9–11 inches and weigh six or seven ounces.
Where can you find them?
California quail thrive in brushy areas where they have ready access to water. They need dense brush where they can escape from predators, but prefer more grassy, herbaceous cover to nest in. Seeds, grains, berries, and especially clover make up their diet. They can actually live without water if they can eat enough moist, leafy greens-but in the desert that is very uncommon. This quail is a species that is very adapted to living near mankind. They are a common sight all over Salt Lake City in parks, golf courses, and even in people's back yards. Listen in the springtime for a male calling to his mate chi-ca-go, chi-ca-go, or you might be lucky enough to spot a female leading a dozen or so chicks to a feeding area.
Through the winter, the birds live together in coveys of 30–40. Beginning in early March they pair off, and begin nesting in May. Females make grass-lined nests among weeds, and lay from 10 to 16 eggs. The chicks hatch after 23 days of incubation. Both parents take care of the chicks, and if one parent is killed, often an unmated first year male will take over as a foster parent. Occasionally the female will lay a second clutch of eggs, and the male will assume full responsibility for the first brood. As a result of diverse predators, there is about a 50 percent death rate among chicks.
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Quail management
By taking quail out of urban areas, new populations are established by introducing those birds into new Utah habitats. Trapping occurs in winter when enough snow has fallen to make the quail's natural food difficult to reach and before they begin to pair off in the spring for mating. Winter coveys are then located in parks, golf courses and even in cemeteries. Wildlife technicians bait traps that can hold about thirty birds with wheat and cracked corn. Traps are checked once or twice each day. These traps are simple "walk in" traps with a large wire funnel on one end. Birds see the bait inside, walk through the funnel, and then cannot figure out how to walk back out. When a covey is captured, each quail's sex and age is recorded, and each is fitted with an aluminum leg band. The quail are then ready for transplant to their new home, which could be a State Wildlife Management area, public land, or private land.
So what are California quail doing in Utah?
These quail are native to the Pacific coast, from Oregon down to Baja California. Californians often don't call them California quail, but valley quail. In 1869, General Gibbon introduced the first fourteen pairs in the vicinity of Fort Douglas, Salt Lake City. Sightings of the quail with chicks were reported two years later. Other introductions have been made since to establish a healthy California quail population in and around Salt Lake City.
Hunting
California quail are classified as an upland game species in Utah. Many quail live in urban areas where firearm discharge is prohibited. Before hunting on private land, be sure to get written permission from the land owner. Bird dogs are almost indispensable in locating and flushing coveys. A modified choke and shot size 7–8 work best on these small birds. If you harvest any birds with aluminum leg bands, please take note of the registration number and call your local DWR office to report it. Biologists use banding information to learn more about quail survival and distribution in Utah.
FAQs
The California quail is native to states of the Pacific coast. They were first introduced into Utah in 1869. Fourteen pairs were released in the vicinity of Fort Douglas in Salt Lake County. Subsequent releases, trapping and transplanting, and dispersion have resulted in establishment in many parts of the state.
Are there California quail in Utah? ›
California quail are classified as an upland game species in Utah. Many quail live in urban areas where firearm discharge is prohibited. Before hunting on private land, be sure to get written permission from the land owner.
What quail are native to Utah? ›
Gambel's quail (Callipepla gambelii) occur in the American southwest including some parts of southern Utah.
Can California quail survive winter? ›
The arrival of cold and snow doesn't necessarily mean a death sentence for quail. In fact, these hardy birds can do remarkably well even in tough winters provided quality winter cover is available. Winter habitat includes grass cover for roosting at night, trees and shrubs to loaf in during the day, and food.
What's the difference between Mountain Quail and California quail? ›
Female California Quail have a shorter topknot and lack the strong brown throat with white outline of Mountain Quail. California Quail have a scaly pattern on the belly and the white streaks on the side are small and horizontal instead of heavy and vertical as on Mountain Quail.
Are Valley Quail and California quail the same? ›
California Quail: Also known as valley quail, California quail are the most popular of the five species of western quail. These birds have a curving crest or plume, made of six feathers, that droops forward: black in males and brown for females; the flanks are brown with white streaks.
Where can I see California quail? ›
It has adapted rather well to the increasing human population, and is often found around well-wooded suburbs and even large city parks. California Quail live in coveys at most seasons, and are often seen strutting across clearings, nodding their heads at each step.
Can you eat California quail? ›
Is it disrespectful to eat the state bird — either to California or the quail itself? Not at all. People have been eating the California quail for a long time — the state's Native Americans feasted on the meal long before California the state existed, and as of 1988, over 2 million quail were still eaten in California.
Are California quail invasive? ›
While they seem to fit right in, California quail are technically an invasive species, first introduced in the Victoria area in 1860 and then in the Lower Mainland about 20 years later.
Where do California Valley quails live? ›
California quail live mostly on the West Coast of the United States. They tend to hang out in open woodlands, near streams, and in parks. The California quail is the state bird of, well, California!
California quail are sometimes kept as pets and are hunted as a source of food. (Leopold 1977).
How long is a California quail life span? ›
California Quail are pretty as well as popular with game hunters. They've been introduced to many other parts of the world, including Hawaii, Europe, and New Zealand. The oldest known California Quail was 6 years 11 months old.
Can California quail be tamed? ›
You cannot tame quail, and especially adult quail, through fear or force—they'll simply become terrified of you.
What is special about the California quail? ›
California Quail are known for their comma-shaped feather plume (topknot) which extends from their forehead. Both males and females sport this topknot however males have longer topknots.
What is a group of California Quail called? ›
California Quail spend most of their time on the ground, walking and scratching in search of food. In morning and evening they forage beneath shrubs or on open ground near cover. They usually travel in groups called coveys.
What time of day are California Quail most active? ›
Quail tend to feed most actively in the morning and late afternoon, so those are the best times to pursue them in and around grain fields and places where weed and grass seeds are readily available.
Where do California quails live? ›
California quail live mostly on the West Coast of the United States. They tend to hang out in open woodlands, near streams, and in parks. The California quail is the state bird of, well, California!
Are California quails rare? ›
Often seen scratching at the ground in large groups or dashing forward on blurred legs, California Quail are common but unobtrusive.
What is the difference between a bobwhite and a California quail? ›
The California Quail has little range overlap with the Northern Bobwhite. Females have a short head plume, are more gray-brown with less dappling and spotting, and lacks the bobwhite's white (or buff) throat and stripe over the eye.
What is the geographic range of the California quail? ›
Geographic Range
Western United States, British Columbia, Chile, and New Zealand: The California Quail Callipepla californica can be found in the Pacific coast region of the United States. Its original range stretched from Baja California to a small portion of Western Nevada and the southern counties of Oregon.
