Scaled quail

Scientific name: Callipepla squamata

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Small, stocky quail with distinctive blue-grey plumage scaled with white spots on the breast and underparts. Males have a prominent buff-coloured crest and rusty crown patch; females are duller with a smaller crest.

Size and weight

Males 20–23 cm, 150–180 g; females 19–22 cm, 130–160 g.

Habitat

Scaled quail occupy arid and semi-arid scrublands, desert grasslands, and brushy plains with scattered low vegetation. They favour areas with sparse grass cover, creosote bush, and yucca at elevations from sea level to 2,000 m.

Distribution

Found in the southwestern United States (Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma) and northern Mexico. Range extends from the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts into the Edwards Plateau and into open grasslands.

Diet

Scaled quail forage on seeds from forbs and grasses year-round, supplemented with insects and green vegetation during breeding season.

Behaviour

Diurnal ground-foragers that move in coveys of 5–30 birds, particularly in late afternoon. They prefer running to flushing and roost on the ground or low perches; coveys fragment and reassemble seasonally.

Hunting tips

Look for dust baths, droppings in clusters, and tracks in soft sand—birds favour trails between feeding and roosting areas. Approach quietly into the wind across open ground or along brush edges at dawn or late afternoon when coveys move to feed. Flush birds by advancing steadily; singles and separated birds offer clearer shooting than bunched coveys.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 2 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.