Gambel's quail 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; also New Mexico-border Chihuahua and the Colorado River region of Baja California. Gambel's quail is named in honor of William Gambel, a 19th-century naturalist and explorer of the Southwestern United States.
Region
Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico
Typical Environment
Common in the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts, especially in Arizona, New Mexico, southern Utah, Nevada, western Texas, and adjacent Baja California, Sonora, and Chihuahua. It favors desert scrub with mesquite, acacia, and cactus, and is frequent along washes and riparian thickets. Birds also use agricultural edges and suburban desert neighborhoods where cover and seed are available. They remain close to dense shrubs and frequently move in groups between feeding and resting areas.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 3/5
Gambel's quail are highly social, spending much of the year in coveys that scurry between cover rather than taking long flights. Both sexes sport a forward-curling topknot, with males showing a bold black face and belly patch. They thrive in arid scrub where water is scarce, getting moisture from succulent plants and fruits. The species is named for 19th-century naturalist William Gambel.
Female with a white-winged dove
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with explosive flushes, then quick glides to cover
Social Behavior
Outside the breeding season they form coveys of 10–20 or more birds that forage and roost together. Pairs form in spring; nests are shallow ground scrapes hidden under shrubs or grass tussocks. Clutches are large, and family groups sometimes merge into crèches for collective chick guarding.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
The primary call is a loud, ringing series of ka-KAA notes, often given by sentry birds from elevated perches. Soft clucks and contact peeps keep covey members coordinated while foraging. Alarm calls are sharp, rapid chip notes when flushed.
Plumage
Males are blue‑gray with a rich chestnut crown, bold white head stripes framing a black face, and a distinctive black belly patch; flanks are chestnut with clean white streaks. Females are browner and more finely scaled overall with a plain face and no belly patch. Both sexes show a forward‑curving comma‑shaped topknot and short, rounded wings.
Diet
They eat seeds, leaves, buds, and fruits of desert plants such as mesquite, acacia, and cactus, taking advantage of seasonal blooms and fallen fruits. Insects—beetles, grasshoppers, and other arthropods—are taken more frequently in spring and summer, especially by growing chicks. They obtain much of their water from succulent vegetation when open water is scarce.
Preferred Environment
Foraging occurs on the ground in open desert scrub near protective cover, along washes, and at the edges of riparian thickets. They also exploit agricultural margins and suburban yards with shrubs, feeders, and water features. Movements are usually short, with frequent dashes between clumps of cover.
