West Side. Fairly common breeders from the Lower Conifer zone up nearly to tree line; in winter, most individuals descend below about 4,000 feet to foothill chaparral habitats to avoid heavy snow.
East Side. Uncommon residents of scrub habitats and open conifer stands up to the Subalpine zone; localized breeders in open Desert zone habitats south of the South Fork Kern River Valley, especially in the vicinity of desert oases where water is available; relatively easy to find (and to see) near Butterbredt Spring from April well into May; uncommon winter visitors to sagebrush flats along the eastern flank of the Sierra and the western Great Basin.
TRENDS AND CONSERVATION STATUS While the range of the Mountain Quail has contracted from the east, leaving the species reduced or extirpated in parts of Idaho, eastern Oregon, and Nevada, California populations appear to be stable.
California Quail
Callipepla californica
ORIGIN OF NAMES “California,” the state where the species was first collected; callipepla, beautifully dressed, from Gr. kallos, beauty, and peplos, a robe; L. californica, of California.
NATURAL HISTORY This exquisitely plumaged quail is the “state bird” of California. California Quail were a favorite game bird of native Sierra tribes, who snared them along their runways; head plumes and other feathers were used to adorn clothes and head-dresses. Backroad travelers in the Sierra foothills sometimes startle large coveys of California Quail, sending them running for cover or erupting into whirring flight in all directions. Rarely found above the foothills, they take shelter in chaparral, open oak stands, and streamside thickets but mostly feed in grassy openings. They do not migrate and may spend their entire lives in areas of only about two square miles. During the long, dry summers, they seldom venture far from streams, springs, or seeps that supply their daily water. At night, quail roost in heavily foliaged trees but will use dense shrubbery if necessary.
In fall and winter, California Quail feed and roost in large coveys numbering from about 25 to 60 birds. They make a variety of clucks and calls for courtship, aggression, alarm, and maintaining contact. When separated visually, covey members utter a three-note assembly call, chi-ca-go, with the second note higher than the others. This call is given frequently in spring by pairs that are separated and by single birds seeking mates. Hollywood film-makers often use these sounds for background in almost any setting, including movies shot in Africa and Australia, hoping their viewers will not notice this gross biological error. Based on old episodes of Star Trek, they may be the most widespread birds in the galaxy!
Males and females form monogamous pairs in late winter, gradually leaving the covey in late April or early May to find nesting sites—later than most resident birds. At this time, older unmated males establish small “crowing territories” to attract unpaired females. Their cow calls, similar to the last note of the assembly call, are repeated several times per minute, usually from exposed perches in shrubs or trees. Each mated male defends his mate from other suitors but does not hold a nesting territory. Females construct nests by lining a small, well-hidden, ground depression with plant stems and grasses. Young hatch in early June and stay with both parents through their first winter. In late summer, two or more of these family groups band together, along with nonbreeding individuals, to form a covey once again.
The staple foods of California Quail are seeds and leaves of herbaceous plants, especially clover, lupines, tips of grasses, but acorns, fruits, wild berries, and large insects are also important. They usually forage on the ground, picking food from plants or scratching like chickens. Sometimes they move up into shrubs or even leap off the ground to snatch insects or seeds from plants.
STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION California Quail occur on both sides of the Sierra; while still more widespread on the West Side, they have become abundant in many East Side areas.
West Side. Common and widespread in the low foothills from annual grasslands and oak savannas to the Lower Conifer zone; primarily found in foothill chaparral, open oak woodlands, and riparian woodlands near a source of water and grassy areas for foraging; avoids dense conifer stands and is rare or absent above about 3,500 feet in the central Sierra; common in open Desert zone habitats, in the vicinity of oases, as in the South Fork Kern River Valley.
East Side. Uncommon to locally abundant throughout; recorded up to 8,400 feet at Aspendell (Inyo County); their range has expanded from presettlement times likely due to a combination of habitat changes, artificial water sources, and introductions; locally common near desert oases such as Butterbredt Spring.
TRENDS AND CONSERVATION STATUS Professional market hunters killed enormous numbers of California Quail during the 19th century. Quail have very high reproductive rates, so while they are probably less numerous now than before that era, this decline is due mostly to habitat changes, fire suppression, and land development. With enforced hunting limits, these gentle birds are once again common in suitable foothill habitats. Data from Sierra Christmas Bird Counts show a significant positive population trend in the past 30 years due largely to increases from nearly all the East Side count circles.
FOWL-LIKE BIRDS
Family Phasianidae
These stout-bodied birds with strong feet and legs are well suited for dwelling on the ground. Though capable of short, swift flights, they mostly run to escape danger. The turkeys, pheasants, ptarmigans, and chukars of the Sierra were introduced for hunting. The two native grouse, Greater Sage and Sooty, also are considered game birds, despite their declining populations. All Sierra species nest on the ground, making them vulnerable to predators, but the drab, mottled females are difficult to spot when motionless on their cryptic nests. Females usually lay 5 to 15 yellowish, buff, or reddish-brown eggs marked with purple or dark brown spots and incubate them alone for about 20 to 25 days. Their precocious young are well developed upon hatching, with strong legs, open eyes, and thick coats of down. Within hours the young leave the nest and begin feeding while one or both parents lead them to food and provide protection until they are capable of flight in about two weeks. This large, diverse family occurs worldwide except in the Antarctic and contains about 145 living species; 2 of these are native to the Sierra and 4 species have been successfully introduced to the region. The family name is derived from Gr. phasianos, a pheasant.
Chukar
Alectoris chukar
ORIGIN OF NAMES “Chukar” may refer to the chuck-chuck-chuck vocalizations of the species; alectoris from Gr. alektor, a cock.
NATURAL HISTORY First introduced from northern India (now Pakistan) to North America in the late 1800s, these medium-sized game birds are now established in many areas of the arid West. Subsequent introductions included birds native to mountainous areas from the Alps to the Himalayas, and these were mixed in game farms so that most wild populations now have an uncertain heritage.
Chukars thrive only on steep, rocky hillsides, in open areas with less than 20 inches of precipitation per year, and they avoid cultivated agricultural fields. To escape danger, they run up steep slopes and only take flight when necessary to avoid hunters and their dogs and other predators. At night they roost among rocks or shrubs. Green leaves, small seeds, and a few insects make up their diet. Little is known about the nesting habits of this species in California, since their nests are hard to find and few have ever been discovered in the state. In other areas they create simple grass-lined scrapes concealed under rocks or brush. Courtship begins in mid-March, and pairs with failed first nesting attempts may build second or third nests until at least mid-August. During the dry summer months, coveys of up to 40 or more birds concentrate near sources of water such as springs, natural seeps, and along brushy desert creeks. Similar to Mountain Quail, they descend below the heavy snow line for the winter,