The Quail Babies Are Here!



Adult male Gambel's quail serving watch on our fence.

The Gambel's Quail have started bringing their babies into our back courtyard.  We usually begin seeing the adorable quail chicks by early May.  I often hear the little puff-balls before I see them; they make a soft, rapid peeping sound.   Quail hens make their nest on the ground, usually in a protected area under a rock or in dense grass and brush.  Clutches range between 10-12 eggs, which all hatch at the same time.   Once they hatch, the chicks are ready to explore their new world.  They can really motor along.  It is amazing that such tiny legs can move so fast!



A couple Gambel's quail chicks with Papa Quail.

Gambel's quail are native to the Sonoran Desert and are found in southern Arizona and northern Mexico.  They mainly feed on plant matter, though the chicks will often gobble up insects.  The quail can obtain most of the water they need from their food, but, they won't turn down long drinks from backyard birdbaths. 



The chicks' coloring and markings help

them blend into their surroundings.

The quail love to roll around in moist soil around irrigated plants, creating what we call "quail potholes."  We'll often find three or four in the same pothole, throwing dirt around and wallowing to their heart's content.  My guess is that they are cooling off and getting in some great back scratching at the same time.  These beautiful birds are fun to watch, and we love hearing their calls, a sound we associate with the desert.  Keith calls them our "desert chickens," because, like roosters, we'll hear them announce the dawning morning.


This chick is only a few days old, but will grow up fast.