The scaled quail (Callipepla squamata), also commonly called blue quail or cottontop, is a species of the New World quail family. It is a bluish gray bird found in the arid regions of the Southwestern United States to Central Mexico. This species is an early offshoot of the genus Callipepla, diverging in the Pliocene.
The nest is typically a grass-lined hollow containing 9–16 speckled eggs. When disturbed, it prefers to run rather than fly.
Widespread and common throughout its range, the scaled quail is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Distribution and taxonomy Scaled quail occur from south-central Arizona, northern New Mexico, east-central Colorado, and southwestern Kansas south through western Oklahoma and western and central Texas into Mexico to northeastern Jalisco, Guanajuato, Queretaro, Hidalgo, and western Tamaulipas. It has been introduced to Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and to the United States in Hawaii, central Washington, eastern Nevada, and Nebraska, but is only considered established in central Washington and eastern Nevada.Long, John L. (1981). Introduced Birds of the World. Agricultural Protection Board of Western Australia, 21–493Sibley, Charles G.; Monroe, Burt L. Jr. (1990). Distribution and taxonomy of the birds of the world. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press
Scaled quail has formed several subspecies, 3 of which range into the USA:
Callipepla squamata squamata Vigors, 1830 (Altiplano scaled quail). The nominate subspecies; it is only found on the Central Plateau (altiplano) of Mexico. Callipepla squamata pallida Brewster, 1881 (northern scaled quail). The most common subspecies, it occurs from Arizona and New Mexico to Colorado and just into Oklahoma, and western Texas, northern Chihuahua, and Sonora. It is paler than the nominate subspecies. Callipepla squamata hargravei Rea, 1973 (Upper Sonoran scaled quail). A form of arid habitat, it is only found in the area where the states of Colorado, Kansas and Oklahoma meet, and in northwestern New Mexico. It is the palest subspecies, adapted to dry and sandy habitat. Callipepla squamata castanogastris Brewster, 1883 (chestnut-bellied scaled quail). Found in southern Texas from Eagle Pass and San Antonio south to adjacent northwestern Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas). Similar individuals are sometimes found in the extreme northeast and west of the species' range.Schemnitz, Sanford D. (1994): Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata). In: Poole, A. & Gill, F.: The Birds of North America 106. The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA & The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. The chestnut brown belly distinguishes it from all other subspecies; it is also darker than the other two found in the USA.
Description This bird is named for the scaly appearance of its breast and back feathers. Along with its scaly markings, the bird is easily identified by its white crest that resembles a tuft of cotton.
It typically measures in length, in wingspan, and weighs .
Plant communities According to Ligon,Ligon, J. S. (1961). New Mexico birds and where to find them. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press the distribution of scaled quail is largely coextensive with mesquite (Prosopis spp.), condalia (Condalia spp.), and cholla (Cylindropuntia spp.).
In Oklahoma, scaled quail occur in sand sagebrush (Artemisia filifolia)-grassland, pinyon-juniper (Pinus spp.-Juniperus spp.), and shortgrass High Plains.DeGraaf, Richard M.; Scott, Virgil E.; Hamre, R. H.; et al. (1991). Forest and rangeland birds of the United States: Natural history and habitat use. Agric. Handb. 688. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Sand sagebrush-grasslands include sand sagebrush, soapweed yucca (Yucca glauca), skunkbush sumac (Rhus trilobata), and sand plum (Prunus watsonii). Scaled Quail in Oklahoma inhabit rough or rolling land, especially where sagebrush (Artemisia spp.), mesquite, cactus (Opuntia spp. and others), yucca (Yucca spp.), juniper, sand shinnery oak (Quercus havardii), and rocks furnish cover.
In Colorado, scaled quail occupy sand sagebrush and/or yucca stands on sandy soils. The cover types used by scaled quail in Colorado are, in descending order, sand sagebrush-grassland, pinyon-juniper, dense cholla-grassland, dryland farmland, irrigated farmland, and greasewood (Sarcobatus spp.)-saltbush (Atriplex spp.) washes. Scaled Quail made little or no use of sparse cholla-grassland, riparian areas, reseeded grasslands, or shortgrass prairie disclimax.Hoffman, Donald M. (1965). The scaled quail in Colorado: Range–population status–harvest. Tech. Publ. No. 18. Denver, CO: Colorado Department of Game, Fish, and Parks
Timing of major life events In Arizona, pairing and maximum dispersal is complete by mid-June. Nesting probably does not begin until early July. In Oklahoma, egg laying usually starts in late April. Completed clutches have been found as early as May 8. Egg laying occurs from March to June in Texas and Mexico, and from April to September in New Mexico. Nests with eggs were reported as early as April 15 in New Mexico.
Scaled quail lay from 9 to 16 eggs; most clutches are 12 to 14 eggs. These eggs measure in length and in width. Eggs are incubated by the female for 21 to 23 days. Double-brooding (the production of two consecutive broods in one season) is common. In west Texas, Wallmo observed the male rearing the first brood while the female began a second clutch. Sutton stated, however, that scaled quail in Oklahoma are probably single-brooded, but have hatched broods as late as September 6. Ehrlich and others also list scaled quail as single-brooded.
The precocial young leave the nest shortly after hatching. They are accompanied by at least one, usually both, parents, who show them how to find food. The young fledge rapidly (age at fledging not reported in the literature), and are adult size in 11 to 15 weeks.Ehrlich, Paul R.; Dobkin, David S.; Wheye, Darryl. (1988) The birder's handbook: a field guide to the natural history of North American birds. New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc. .
Scaled quail are fairly sedentary. The winter home ranges of scaled quail coveys varied from . The home ranges of separate coveys overlap only slightly or not at all. From September to November scaled quail coveys maintain stable territories.Goodwin, John G., Jr.; Hungerford, C. Roger. 1977. Habitat use by native Gambel's and scaled quail and released masked bobwhite quail in southern Arizona. Res. Pap. RM-197. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. In Arizona, 75 to 90% of a population apparently moved off of a breeding area by mid-November, moving to nearby mountain foothills. The mountain habitat was consistent with that found on the breeding area. In March the population on the breeding area increased again, with most birds in groups of four to eight.
The average winter covey size for scaled quail is around 30 birds, although coveys of up to 150 birds have been reported.
Preferred habitat Scaled quail inhabit dry, open valleys, plains, foothills, rocky slopes, draws, gullies, and canyons that have a mixture of bare ground, low herbaceous growth, and scattered brushy cover. Good scaled quail habitat is characterized by low-growing grasses with forbs and shrubs. Overall ground cover is between 10 and 50%. Trees and shrubs should be less than tall. Scaled quail avoid the dense growth associated with streamsides. Transmitter-fitted scaled quail had individual home range sizes of .
An absolute requirement by scaled quail for a source of open water has not been established; there is some debate in the literature whether there is such a requirement.Johnsgard, Paul A. (1988) The quails, partridges, and francolins of the world. New York: Oxford University Press Schemnitz, Sanford D. (1961). Ecology of the scaled quail in the Oklahoma Panhandle. Wildlife Monographs: No. 8. Bethesda, MD: The Wildlife Society, pp. 5–47 Scaled quail have been reported as inhabiting an area from the nearest water in Arizona. In New Mexico, it was not unusual to find Scaled Quail from water. Wallmo Wallmo, O. C. 1956. Ecology of scaled quail in west Texas. Contribution of the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act; Special report: Project W-57-R; Department of Wildlife Management, A & M College of Texas. Austin, TX: Texas Game and Fish Commission, Division of Wildlife Restoration. observed winter coveys from water in Big Bend National Park in southwestern Texas.
In Arizona, scaled quail summer habitat is seldom within of water. Scaled quail were observed drinking at stock tanks from April to June (which was a dry period during the course of the study) every 2 to 3 days. In Oklahoma, scaled quail often migrate to farms and ranches in winter and are thus closer to a source of water in winter than in summer. DeGraaf and others reported that in winter, scaled quail are usually found within of a source of water.
Cover requirements Feeding cover: scaled quail use grass clumps and shrubs for cover while feeding. In one study they were frequently seen crossing of bare ground. When disturbed, scaled quail hid in snakeweed (Gutierrezia spp.) or in grass clumps. In June and July foraging occurs on open grasslands which are not used at other times.
Loafing cover: scaled quail coveys occupy loafing or resting cover after early morning feeding periods. Scaled quail occupy desert grassland or desert scrub with a minimum of one loafing covert per approximately .Harrison, H. H. (1979). A field guide to western birds' nests. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. .Campbell, Howard; Martin, Donald K.; Ferkovich, Paul E.; Harris, Bruce K. (1973). Effects of hunting and some other environmental factors on scaled quail in New Mexico. Wildlife Monographs No. 34. Bethesda, MD: The Wildlife Society In northwestern Texas, loafing coverts were characterized by: (1) overhead woody cover, (2) lateral screening cover, (3) a central area with bare soil, and (4) one or more paths through the lateral cover. Covert heights ranged from high and in diameter. Cholla formed all or part of the overhead cover of 85% of coverts, even though they were dominant at only 12% of the study locations. In areas where scaled quail occur without cholla, woody species such as wolfberry (Lycium spp.) and mesquite are important for overhead cover.Stormer, Fred A. (1981). Characteristics of scaled quail loafing coverts in northwest Texas. Res. Note RM-395. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station In Oklahoma pinyon-juniper habitats, scaled quail use the shade of tree cholla (Cylindropuntia imbricata) and human-made structures. In Arizona, scaled quail occupied wolfberry and mesquite tall for loafing cover. This overhead cover provides midday shade, but is open at the base to allow easy escape from predators. In Oklahoma, winter home ranges always contained skunkbush sumac, tree cholla, or human-made structures providing overhead cover.
Night-roosting cover: scaled quail roosts were observed in yucca (Yucca angustifolia), tree cholla, and true mountain-mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus)-yucca-fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica) vegetation types. The height of vegetation used for night roosts was less than .