California State Bird - California Quail

The California state bird is the California quail, or sometimes called the California valley quail. Other names you may find this bird called are the California partridge, the Topknot quail and the Catalina quail.

Where Does the California Quail Live?

Despite being the state bird of California, the Valley quail lives in much of the Western United States along the Pacific coast. The open woodlands and valleys of the Pacific coast make a perfect habitat for the quail. You will also find the Valley quail in regions of British Columbia, New Zealand and even Chile. This bird has been domesticated and is often kept as a pet, which is one of the reasons you find it living in regions slightly east of California, like Utah and Nevada, and areas further west, like Hawaii and Australia.

Description

The Valley bird resembles a pigeon. Weighing around six ounces—males a little more—the birds can grow anywhere from eight to twelve inches, with an average height of ten inches. The feathers on its curved back are usually brown and black, but many of the quails have a blue-gray hue with hints of brown. The crown is a hazy auburn color with occasional streaks.

For the males, throats are black and for the females, throats are gray with black streaks. Both sexes have gray legs and black beaks. When males and females are young, most of the colors they exhibit are gray and brown. The black colors in the feathers come later in their life span.

Social Behavior

A typical California Quail group ranges from 20 to 60 birds. The group is usually called a covey. Coveys of over 1,000 birds have been observed, but are very rare. During the springtime, typically from May until June or July, sees individual birds breaking from the group to pair up and mark territories because of the nesting and mating season. The females will lay eggs and nurtures them to hatch as the male hangs by and protects the nest. The quails really don’t have a migration period because they usually make nests in one general location. A normal California quail may only shift homes or nests within a 20-mile area.

The California Quail likes to eat seeds, insects and leaves and during the summer, often has digestive issues. They drink lots of water during the summer to help with digestion. You will often find the Valley quails around big groups of humans because they like being around people. This is because they are resilient and very mild in attitude and fearless.

Speed

Studies have clocked the California quail in flight from 40 to 50 miles per hour and their running speed at about 12 miles per hour. Except for the breeding season, the quail are not aggressive birds. They will defend their mate and territory if needed. That’s why you rarely find these quails fighting on the ground or in the air.

Banned as a Pet

Lastly, you cannot keep the California state bird as a pet in California since it is recognized as an official bird and therefore is banned to be sold or purchased as a pet.

Fun Facts about the California State Bird

This bird became the official state bird in 1931.
The Audubon Society is the one that actually picked the bird and submitted the recommendation to the California Legislature.
The California General Assembly only took four months to pass Bill Number 776, recognizing the Valley quail as the official bird of California. The governor at the time signed the bill in June.
The Latin name of the California State Bird is Callipepla californica.
The state bird lives an average of seven years.