Although we have spotted quail with juveniles during the past few weeks, this is the first time we have seen a brood in our yard. The mama quail is at the right, the papa toward the bottom center and the seven chicks can be seen scurrying toward the left. This isn’t the best image due to late afternoon shadows, but you can on it to enlarge for more detail.
These juveniles must be several weeks old since most of their permanent markings and topknots are visible. Each chick is about two-thirds as large as the adults.
Wikipedia has an extensive article on Gambel’s Quail:
The Gambel’s quail (Callipepla gambelii) is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. It inhabits the desert regions of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Texas, and Sonora; also New Mexico-border Chihuahua and the Colorado River region of Baja California. The Gambel’s quail is named in honor of William Gambel, a 19th-century naturalist and explorer of the Southwestern United States.
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