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Mountain Quail

Oreortyx pictusOrder: GALLIFORMESFamily: Quails (Odontophoridae)
Mountain Quail Head Illustration

Head

  • Bill Shape: All-purpose
  • Eye color: Brown iris
  • Head Pattern: Crested or plumed, Special (unique patterns or features)
  • Crown color: Gray
  • Forehead color: Gray
  • Nape Color: Brown and blue-gray.
  • Throat color: Rufous or Rust
  • Cere color:
Splitbar
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Mountain Quail Body Illustration

Body

  • Length Range: 27 cm (11 in)
  • Weight: 232 g (8.2 oz)
  • Size: Size 3. Medium (9 - 16 in)
  • Color: White, Brown, Gray, Rufous or Rust
  • Underparts: Blue-gray breast and red-brown belly with white highlights.
  • Upperparts: Brown
  • Back Pattern: Solid
  • Belly Pattern: Scaled or Scalloped
  • Breast Pattern: Solid
Mountain Quail Flight Illustration

Flight

  • Flight Pattern: Alternates between strong flapping flight and gliding.
  • Wingspan Range: 35-41 cm (14-16.5 in)
  • Wing Shape: Rounded-Wings
  • Tail Shape: Rounded Tail
  • Tail Pattern: Brown
  • Upper Tail: Brown
  • Under Tail: Brown
  • Leg color: Pink, Gray
.

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Family Pheasants, Quails and Partridges (Odontophoridae)_blue
Species Oreortyx pictus
Length11 Inches
Wingspan15.25 Inches

Mountain Quail

Mountain Quail: Large,striking quail with long elegant black head plume, white-bordered rufous-brown face and throat, gray-brown upperparts, blue-gray breast, and rufous-brown belly and sides with distinct white bars. Rapid direct flight, series of several stiff wing beats followed by a short glide.

● Song: "quee-ark"

● Foraging & Feeding: Mountain Quail: Forages almost exclusively on arid brushy hillsides, feeding on a wide variety of seeds and flowers. Will dig for bulbs and climb trees to reach seeds or fruit. In the fall eats many acorns.

● Breeding & nesting: Mountain Quail: Nest is a simple scrape on the ground under dense cover. Lays six to fifteen creamy buff to red buff eggs that are apparently incubated by both parents for 24 days. Chicks are able to walk and feed at one day, and make short flights when 2 weeks old.

● Similar species: Mountain Quail: California Quail has short black plume tilted forward, dark brown crown and scaly underparts with white streaking on sides.

Flight Pattern

Alternates between strong flapping flight and gliding.
Mountain Quail Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Mountain Quail: A quail of dry brushy montane hillsides throughout the west.
BreedingSolitary nester
Population
MigrationAltitudinal movements
Weight8.2 Ounces