Gambel's Quail on Guard Duty

These are iconic birds of Tucson and the Sonoran Desert

Gambel’s Quail are classic birds of the Sonoran Desert. For much of the year, but especially during spring time, you can find the male Quail perched on high. He’s usually watching out for any trouble that might come to his family of quail, feeding on the ground below him.

I was driving through farmland Northwest of Tucson with a friend of mine earlier this year when we came across this Quail standing guard. We couldn’t see his family on the ground below him in the thick vegetation. However, he obviously knew where his family was.

He would look around. He would call or cluck. He was just an active lifeguard. Finally, he hopped down and joined his family.

Several weeks later in my backyard, I saw another male Gambel’s Quail. This one was busy feeding, but he also had his family on the ground around him. Besides feeding for himself, he would often bring his head up to look around for predators or intruders.

At one point, he noticed something significant and stopped for a better look. Whatever it was disappeared and he returned to feeding rather quickly. I like how the dried paloverde leaves create a carpet for this bird to feed on.

This bird was feeding early in the season before any of the quail eggs in the neighborhood hatched. His life got much busier once that happened.