Ten Little Puffballs

Young Gambel’s Quail make quite the covey

The stock pond that I’ve visited was not created by putting an earthen dam across a natural drainage channel. Many desert stock ponds are created using this method. However, since the rancher provides pumped well water as needed, this stock pond was created in a large circle with a high embankment surrounding the pond. On my afternoon visit, a group of little Gambel’s Quail popped up over the embankment. On the rim of the pond, it looked like the chicks were marching in single file.

Quickly the dad appeared. Usually both parents stay near the group, shepherding them around and always on the lookout for danger. Those little quail are often snatched up by a variety of predators including other birds, snakes, and both domestic and wild cats and dogs. So it is important for the parents to watch out at every second.

Groups of young Gambel’s Quail travel in an interesting fashion. Many people in Tucson have witnessed these parades. They scurry with quick dashes and then freeze. They may be in formation or may scatter and then regroup. Gambel’s Quail chicks are precocial, meaning that they can walk, run and forage as soon as they hatch and they seem to always be on the move!

In the photo above, they ran ahead of the male Quail. I’m not sure whether or not he ‘said’ something, but the little ones all stopped suddenly so Dad could catch up and gather them together. You can see that he was aware of the four human beings sitting across the pond and was making sure we weren’t a threat. He kept his eyes on us the entire time the chicks were on that slope.

As they neared the water, the little Quail rushed ahead. The Desert Museum tells us more about this desert species of birds.

They stopped to forage and Dad arrived near the water’s edge. I always enjoy how Tucson Bird Alliance writes about our local birds. You can read TBA’s introduction to these Quail here. https://tucsonbirds.org/bird_profile/gambels-quail/

Once again, the family convened along the shoreline. Whether drinking or foraging for small plants and seeds, the Quail value the resources that the stock pond provides in the hot desert. There are a number of different Quail species in the Southwest. Birdnote shares information and compares many of them.

Perhaps because they were a distance from any protective vegetative growth, the family remained close together and the father Gambel’s Quail was very much on guard the entire time.

Whenever and wherever they appear, young Gambel’s Quail have that “Awww” factor! Anyone who spots them stops what they are doing to stare in delight. Watching a conga line of these little fuzzballs is always a highlight.