![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() They’re easier to spot either earlier or later in the day (when the temperatures are a little cooler), and they usually spend the midday resting in shaded spots. Depending on the time of day (and location), you can probably see teh quail in groups on the ground feeding, or moving quickly between bushes. Most quails are shy birds that you have to be on the lookout for. Though they can also be found in parts of the Great Basin as well. Their main range is within the Sonora, Mojave, and Chihuahuan deserts in the American Southwest and Mexico. The males have ‘brighter’ coloring than the females, though they both have patterns in gray, chestnut, and cream that serve as camouflage in the arid regions they call home. It was noticing the topknot that helped me distinguish the Gambel’s quail from the initial thought of it being a Scaled quail (which has a crest on the top of its head). In addition, they have a comma-shaped topknot that is fuller in males than females. The Gambel’s quail is a plump bird (size somewhere between that of a robin and crow–though this one leans more towards the crow size), that has a short neck, small bill, and a square tail. Getting this picture of the Gambel’s quail marks the first (and so far only) time I’ve managed to get a picture of a quail. Once I got the pictures on the camera, I was able to spot the quail–can you spot it? (Answer will be highlighted closer to the bottom of the page). So I managed to get a single picture of a quail walking through some brush as we were driving through the Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge outside of Roswell, New Mexico a couple of years ago. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |