Bird guide · Callipepla gambelii
Gambel's Quail
What the Gambel's quail eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from every US state.
- Season
- Year-round resident
- Size
- 10 in (25.5 cm)
- Eats
- grain, seeds
- Feeds
- ground
- Most common
- Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico
Food
What do Gambel's quails eat?
At feeders, Gambel's quails take grain, seeds.
Coveys come into backyards to eat grain scattered on the ground.
Feeder that suits it
A low tray or platform feeder, or seed scattered on the ground below your feeder.
Range
Where do Gambel's quails live?
Sonoran desert and desert Southwest, including suburbs. By share of all bird sightings, Gambel's quails are most common in Arizona (1.4%).
States where Gambel's quails are most common
- Arizona1.4%
- Nevada0.9%
- New Mexico0.7%
- Utah0.1%
- Colorado0.04%
- California0.03%
- Texas0.02%
- Idaho0.01%
- Hawaii0.00%
- South Dakota0.00%
Share of all bird sightings in each state that are Gambel's quails, 2019–2024.
Season
Does the Gambel's quail migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in March.
Share of all bird sightings in the US that are Gambel's quails, by month.
Identification
How to identify the Gambel's quail
Male: Grey quail with a curving topknot, reddish cap, white-striped chestnut sides and a black patch on a yellowish belly.
Female: No reddish cap or black belly patch; redder on the sides than female California Quail.
Size: 10 in (25.5 cm)
Easily confused with
- California Quail – female Gambel's is redder on the sides, less scaly below
On camera
Getting the Gambel's quail on a feeder camera
Most visits happen on the ground or on low trays. A camera feeder with a wide tray, placed low near cover, catches far more than a hanging tube.
Questions
Gambel's Quail: questions
What do Gambel's quails eat?
At feeders, grain, seeds.
Do Gambel's quails migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in March.
Where do Gambel's quails live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado. They are rare or absent in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia.
What does a female Gambel's quail look like?
No reddish cap or black belly patch; redder on the sides than female California Quail.