Scaled quail

Scaled quail
Scaled quail in Arizona
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Odontophoridae
Genus: Callipepla
Species:
C. squamata
Binomial name
Callipepla squamata
(Vigors, 1830)
Subspecies

See text

Synonyms

Ortyx squamatus Vigors, 1830

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.[2]

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.

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.[1]

  1. ^ a b BirdLife International (2018). "Callipepla squamata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22679594A131906047. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22679594A131906047.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference j1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).