Scaled Quail

Scaled Quail

Callipepla squamata

The 2012 Texas quail season starts tomorrow so I thought it was good timing to post this recent picture of a scaled quail that I took near Coyanosa, Texas.  Texas is home to four species of quail - Montezuma, Bobwhite, Gambel's, and Scaled.  While most quail hunters are familiar with Bobwhites, west Texas hunters chase scaled quail.  Texans call them blue quail, probably because of their blue-gray breast.  They are generally found in the western portion of the state with some range overlap with Bobwhites.  The bird pictured is a male; the buff-colored throat distinguishes it from the female's streaked throat.  Quail populations have plummeted in recent years due to a variety of factors, including habitat loss, drought, and predators. If you are interested in learning more about the biology and management of this quail, Texas Parks & Wildlife has an excellent publication titled Scaled Quail in Texas.  True to their preference to run instead of flying, this one grew tired of being a model and flew to the ground and simply ran off into the mesquite.