Callipepla squamata
The Scaled Quail, Callipepla squamata, is a striking member of the New World quail family (Odontophoridae), renowned for its distinctive, scale-like plumage that gives it its common name. Measuring 25-30 cm (10-12 inches) in length with a weight typically ranging from 150-250 grams (5.3-8.8 ounces), this medium-sized quail features a grayish-blue body adorned with a finely scalloped pattern on its breast, back, and flanks. Its most prominent field mark is the bushy, white-bordered crest, ofte...
Arid to semi-arid grasslands, brushlands, desert scrub, open woodlands, and agricultural edges, typically found from lowlands up to 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) in elevation.
Mainly seeds from various grasses and forbs, leaves, and buds, supplemented with insects (especially for growing chicks) and succulent plant material for moisture.
Scaled Quail are primarily diurnal, foraging actively during the day and roosting communally at night in dense shrubs or low trees to avoid predators. Outside the breeding season, they form social coveys of 10-30 individuals, sometimes larger, moving cohesively across their home range. Their fora...
The Scaled Quail is primarily a resident species across the southwestern United States and much of northern and central Mexico. In the U.S., its range includes southeastern Arizona, New Mexico, western and central Texas, the Oklahoma Panhandle, southwestern Kansas, and southeastern Colorado. Sout...
Least Concern
- The Scaled Quail is often affectionately called the "Cotton-top" due to its prominent, bushy white crest. - Unlike many quail species, they can survive long periods without free water, obtaining most of their moisture from their diet of succulent plants and insects. - When startled, Scaled Quai...