Gambel's Quail Shows Its Southwestern Colors

Of all the birds common to North America, few are more recognizable or charismatic than those of the quail family, particularly those of the California and Gambel's Quail species. While both appear quite similar, the males each having the classic forward-curving head-plume that bobs as they scurry along the ground, the Gambel’s Quail prefers the desert southwest to the Pacific Coast Range inhabited by its California cousin.

This superb Wingscapes BirdCam image of a male Gambel’s Quail submitted to the BirdCam Photo Gallery by Milton from Surprise, Arizona shows the "warmer" desert color tones that help birders to identify the species.