Species BirdsGambel's Quail

Gambel's Quail

Callipepla gambelii

CommonBird
Illustration of Gambel's Quail (Callipepla gambelii)

Gambel's Quail is the quail of the Sonoran Desert, a desert-adapted species that extracts enough water from succulent desert plants and seeds to survive without drinking in many conditions. The male has a bold black face and belly patch framed by rufous flanks. Families parade in lines through desert washes in the morning — a quintessential image of desert wildlife.

Habitat
Desert scrub, washes, and chaparral of the Southwest
Diet
Seeds, cactus fruit, leaves, and insects
How common
Common

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