Gambel's Quail - thank you so much sumdumgi by iaacf
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Description
Thank you for your comments on my fading figure posting.
Today I will not post anything to do with Autumn.. Today I will post a shot I took in Burgers Zoo today...where we (my wife, my daughter called lydia1995 and RR member Mieke) met the RR members Vlaaitje, Ger1950 and Danob.
What you look at is the 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. The Gambel's quail is named in honor of William Gambel, a 19th century naturalist and explorer of the Southwestern United States.
These birds are easily recognized by their top knots and scaly plumage on their undersides. Gambel's quail have gray plumage on much of their bodies, and males have copper feathers on the top of their heads, black faces, and white stripes above their eyes. Gambel's quail can be commonly confused with California Quail due to similar plumage. They can usually be distinguished by range, but when this does not suffice, California quail have a more scaly appearance and the black patch on the lower breast of the male Gambel's Quail is absent in the California Quail. The two species are sister taxa which diverged during the Late Pliocene or Early Pleistocene, 1 to 2 mya (Zink & Blackwell, 1998).
The bird's average length is 11 inches (30 cm) with a wingspan of 14-16 inches (35-40 cm). Its diet consists primarily of plant matter and seeds. Gambel's quail primarily move about by walking, and can move surprisingly fast through brush and undergrowth. They are a non-migratory species and are rarely seen in flight. Any flight is usually short and explosive, with many rapid wingbeats followed by a slow glide to the ground. These birds have relatively short, rounded wings and long, featherless legs.
In the late summer, fall and winter, the adults and immature young congregate into coveys of many birds. In the spring, Gambel's quail pair off for mating and become very aggressive toward other pairs. The chicks are decidedly more insectivorous than adults, gradually consuming more plant matter as they mature. Gambel's quail are monogamous, and rarely breed in colonies. The female typically lays 10-15 eggs in a simple scrape concealed in vegetation, often at the base of a rock or tree. Incubation lasts from 21-24 days, usually performed by the female and rarely by the male. The chicks are precocial, leaving the nest with their parents within hours of hatching.
fading figure
Comments (21)
sumdumgi
It's a gambles quail.
durleybeachbum
What a marvellous 'bonnet'!! Great pic.
Breyden
Gorgeous photograph!
vlaaitje
what a wonderful bird this is !! Lucky you.....I did not saw this beauty. I don't know what kind of bird it is, maybe you can look at their website, most of the time they add the bird names in there as well...... BTW I am curious how the pictures came out with the white lens!!
JaneEden
What a wonderful Gambles Quail so beautiful, and this is an excellent capture, a top quality photo as always from you. I have just popped here from your daughter's gallery, she is taking after her Dad for her photography! hugs Jane xx
amlondono
Beautiful shot . Thanks for sharing , Ana
danob
Very good Oskar is was a grand day out !
Dianthus
Beautiful image:)
CavalierLady
Beautiful shot! I have read that they are common in the western states, but I've never seen one in real life. I think they are such lovely birds, and you have captured it so nicely!
redchilicat
Fantastic capture of this beautiful bird!
MrsLubner
My sister lives for quail season so she can stock the freezer with these birds. It's not as easy as one would think. But they are tender and favorful when smoked or grilled - or both. I have worked with many as a wildlife artist and they are lovely. The first wildlife bird art I did was with a Gambles. This is a lovely male. The female has the same headgear but they aren't so colorful. Youve captured this so very nicely. BTW, my sister lives in Arizona and I live in California - I am often amused by the CA. quail. They will dash out of a ditch along a path and run like heck down the center of the path to get away from you! You'd think they'd fly or dash for a bush but that seems to be an after-thought. Sometimes a line of 15, including young, will be running like heck in front of you. LOL
RobyHermida
Gorgeous---------------------------------- :O)
hotracer2
Fantastic image, beautiful:):):)
sharky_
Very nice capture of this bird. Excellent. Aloha
Mieke
Great shot. I didn't see this bird at all.I had a lovely day!
trishabadblood
wonderful shot, of this beautiful bird... excellent work...
Cosme..D..Churruca
Such an extraordinary bird! Superb capture.
helanker
OH yes, the world is little :) Or maybe it was planned. What a fabulous shot of this bird. Fantastic colors and clarity. Well done :)))
virginiese
Beautiful shot of a very beautiful bird. Thanks for the explanations too ! Hugs Virginie
lilbiscuit
Beautiful details & excellent capture!!
dorothylee
The soft background enhances the perfect sharpness on this magnificent bird. Great capture!