Mountain quail
Females display greater brown coloring on their dorsal side, a paler red on their undersides, and wider white barring on the flank than their male counterparts.The female typically lays 9–10 eggs in a simple scrape concealed in vegetation, often at the base of a tree or shrub, usually close to water.However, preliminary research by the University of Nevada suggests that males have successfully incubated chicks on their own, which creates the possibility of a pair of mountain quails raising two broods in one breeding season.Subfossil remains have been found, for example at Rocky Arroyo in the Guadalupe Mountains and Shelter Cave, New Mexico, where sufficient habitat no longer exists.However, outside of California, the birds' habitat has been decreasing in Idaho, Nevada, and eastern Oregon and Washington because of drought and human activity, including agriculture and development.
Conservation statusLeast ConcernIUCN 3.1Scientific classificationEukaryotaAnimaliaChordataGalliformesOdontophoridaeBinomial nameDouglasNew World quailfamilyspeciesonly oneCallipeplabobwhiteswingspanprimariessubspeciesCascade RangeWashingtonLittle San Bernardino MountainsCaliforniaNevadaBaja CaliforniachaparralRocky MountainsBritish ColumbiaBaja Peninsulanon-migratoryinsectivorousmonogamousIncubationprecocialclimateSubfossilGuadalupe MountainsShelter CaveNew Mexicolast ice age8000 BCIUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesHandbook of Birds of the WorldNational Geographic SocietySibley, David AllenWikispeciesInternet Bird CollectionXeno-cantolandfowlGalloanseraePangalliformesAustinornisChambiortyxGallinuloidesQuercymegapodiidaeTaubacrexSylviornithidaeMegavitiornisSylviornisAmitabhaLinquornisSobniogallusMegapodiidaeMwalauAepypodiusAlecturaLeipoaProguraTalegallaEulipoaMacrocephalonMegapodiusCracidaePenelopinaeAburriaChamaepetesPenelopePenelopinaPipileCracinaeOreophasisOrtalisNothocraxPhasianoideaNumididaeAcrylliumAgelastesGutteraNumidaTelecrexPtilopachinaePtilopachusOdontophorinaeColinusCyrtonyxDactylortyxDendrortyxOdontophorusOreortyxPhilortyxRhynchortyxPhasianidaeCenturiavisLophogallusMiogallusPalaeortyxPanraogallusRustaviornisShandongornisShanxiornisTitanoperdixTologuicaRollulinaeArborophilaCaloperdixMelanoperdixRhizotheraRollulusXenoperdixPavoninaeTropicoperdixCoturniciniAlectorisAmmoperdixCoturnix