The California quail or California valley quail has been the California state bird since 1931. A popular game bird, these quail sport distinctive head feathers and depictions of them have appeared in such Disney films as "Bambi" according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's website. California quail are hardy and adapt easily to a variety of environments, including urban and suburban areas.
Legislation
The Audubon Society nominated the California valley quail as the state bird of California, according to Netstate.com. On January 21, 1931, California Legislature members Eleanore Miller and Charles W. Fisher introduced Assembly Bill No. 776 that encouraged their fellow legislators to adopt the California valley quail as the state bird. The state assembly and senate passed the bill, and Gov. James Rolph Jr. signed it into law June 12, 1931.
Description
California quail grow to be 8 to 11 inches long. They're frequently described as plump and usually are colored gray and brown. Adult males have black throats and additional black, white and chestnut-colored markings. Both males and females sport curving black plumes on their heads, although the females' are smaller.
Evolutionary Development
California quail belong to a family known as the New World quails, or Odontophoridae, according to the 2000 article "The Biogeography of California Quail" by J. McIlvaine. This family developed exclusively in the Americas and its species are related only distantly to their Old World counterparts. The Odontophoridae seem to have evolved in South America, and the California quail apparently emerged and migrated north around 2.8 million years ago.
History with Humans
Native Americans prized the meat of the California quail and also used the distinctive cranial plumes for decoration, according to "The Biogeography of California Quail." As humans settled permanently in the California quails' habitat, the birds adapted to urban and suburban environments. They remain popular game, but since 1999 conservation groups have focused on saving specific populations, such as the one in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.
Habits and Distribution
California quail eat primarily seeds but supplement their diets with leaves, berries, acorns and insects. During the fall and winter, they roost in coveys that can contain hundreds of birds. In the spring, they separate into pairs to nest and mate. California quail are found along the West Coast of Mexico and the United States, as well as in Idaho, Nevada and Utah. There are also populations in Chile and western Argentina.
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