The name "quail," with roots in Middle Dutch through Old French, is related to "quack," an allusion to the vocalization of the European quail. The name "Gambel’s" is in recognition of William Gambel (1821- 1849), an American naturalist.

Description: They are pear-shaped birds with short legs and roundish wings. Both sexes are gray above and buff below, with white-streaked russet sides. Males have a black throat and face and a head plume (called a "topknot"), a red cap and white headband. Females have a less prominent plume and lack black coloration and red head cap. They are about 10” and weigh six ounces. These birds join together in groups known as coveys, which may total 20 or more individuals in fall and winter.

Range: They live mainly in the Sonoran desert of Arizona and Mexico, but are sometimes found in surrounding areas especially along the Colorado River. They have become adapted to suburbs where they are not disturbed.

Food and Water: They are ground feeders and eat seeds of forbs, grasses, shrubs, trees and cacti as well as herbaceous material, fruits and berries. They obtain water from food material, but they may also require some free water.

Predators: Natural predators in our area are the Cooper’s and Harris’ hawks, but humans are their worst predator because they are hunted as game.

Breeding: Pair formation begins in March. Females select nest sites, which are almost always located on the ground and usually concealed or protected by foliage. The typical nest is a shallow, bowl-shaped scrape, lined with grass, leaves and feathers. Clutches of 10 to 12 white to buff eggs with brown splotches hatch three weeks after laying, usually peaking in late April or May. Sometimes they’ll have 2 clutches.

Chicks all hatch on the same day. They leave the nest soon and may form mixed-parent, mixed-age coveys of 30 to 40 chicks. Average life expectancy is 1.5 years, but a rare one may live for up to four years.