California Quail

California quail are a favorite of many. They can be found near homes, farms and the edges of forests, and their familiar “Chi-ca-go” call echos through the valleys in the Leavenworth area. Like their cousins the grouse, quail spend most of their day on the ground, feeding on seeds, grasses and berries. California quail roost at night in dense trees, such as fir or spruce. They are frequent visitors to the ground under bird feeders.

Quail nest in a slight hollow on the ground, lined with grasses or leaves from near-by vegetation. It is hidden in a brush pile, beside a log, under a bush, or in a thick clump of grass, often near a house, orchard, or garden. The female lays 12 to 17 eggs, incubating them for about 22 days. The eggs are creamy-white or yellowish with fine overall speckling and spotting of brown-gray. Male quail have been known to have an incubation patch and may be incubating another near-by nest of eggs laid by the female. Sometimes if the female dies, the male will incubate the clutch of eggs.

The young are born covered with down and are active soon after hatching, when they leave the nest, tended by both parents. The baby birds hide in thick underbrush when there is danger. They are able to copy the adults and learn to feed themselves right away. The wing feathers of the young grow so quickly they can fly when 14 days old, but prefer to run to escape.