How to identify it
9.4-10.6 in; plump quail with a forward-curving black topknot. [1]
White streaks on gray-brown sides and a heavily scaled pattern on the belly. [1]
Call a loud 'chi-CA-go', the second note highest. [1]
Compared with the gambel's quail: Replaces California quail in desert country; compare carefully where ranges meet. [1]
Compared with the mountain quail: Mountain quail lives mostly at higher elevations and has broad white bars on reddish sides. [1]
Species it is confused with
Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.
- Gambel's quail · Callipepla gambelii
- Mountain quail · Oreortyx pictus
Field notes
- Identification Do not identify California quail from colour alone. Compare structure, size, range and the listed similar species before making a field decision.[1]
Where it lives
Broken chaparral, woodland edges, coastal scrub, open oak woodland and streamside growth; also suburbs, farms, pinyon-juniper and grassland edges. [1]
Avoids mountains; introduced birds farther inland use other brushy habitats. [1]
How it behaves
Lives in coveys most of the year; often seen strutting across clearings, nodding at each step, and flushes in fast, low, whirring flight. [1]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Where legal take is listed
- British Columbia — hunting · 2026-2028 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis
- Arizona — hunting · 2026-2027 Arizona Hunting Regulations
- California — hunting · 2026-2027 California Waterfowl, Upland Game, and Public Use of Department Lands Regulations
- Hawaii — hunting · HAR Title 13 Chapter 122, Rules Regulating Game Bird Hunting (unofficial copy, am. 05/09/15)
- Idaho — hunting · Upland Game, Turkey & Furbearer 2026 & 2027 Seasons & Rules
- Nevada — hunting · CR 26-13 2026-27 & 2027-28 Seasons, Bag Limits ... Upland Game Birds, Rabbits, Wild Turkey, Furbearers
- Oregon — hunting · 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations (official ODFW booklet)
- Utah — hunting · 2026-27 Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook
- Washington — hunting · 2026 Washington Game Bird and Small Game Hunting Regulations (Jul 1 2026 - Jun 30 2027)
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
A permanent resident of the Pacific coast states and parts of the interior West; common along the California coast and present in the Northwest, Rocky Mountain and Southwest regions, including introduced populations.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
- BIOLOGICALCalifornia Quail | Audubon Field Guide
National Audubon Society · reviewed 2026-09-30
National Audubon Society