Similar to other Texas quail, Gambel’s prefer to run and hide when flushed, rather than fly.īecause they live in the harsher desert regions, Gambel’s breeding patterns are impacted by the amount of green vegetation available to eat. Being slightly larger than Northern Bobwhites, Gambel’s quail are just under a foot long with an average wingspan of 15 inches. The female Gambel’s quail lack the distinctive facial features of the male and have a smaller, less prominent plume. Males also have a black inner patch on their underside which differentiates them from females. Males can be identified by their black face and forehead and rusty crown bordered by a white line at its base. Both male and female Gambel’s quail have gray breasts and upperparts with white-streaked, chestnut sides. Gambel’s Quail can be easily identified, when compared to the other Texas quail species, by a prominent teardrop-shaped, black plume on their heads. An alarming “chip-chip-chip” is issued to the covey when danger is near. They also are known to use various clucking noises and grunts to communicate between individuals. Kow ”and“ whit whit calls are used by courting males to attract females. Their most notable call is a loud three note “ka-KAA-ka” and is used as an assembly call or to locate other quail in the area. The Gambel’s Quail has many different vocalizations for different circumstances. They are named after American naturalist William Gambel and are commonly found near sources of water in far west Texas, notably the Trans-Pecos ecoregion. The Gambel’s Quail (Callipepla gambelii) is one of the four species of quail that reside in the state.
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