A family that forages together
Al Crisalli took this photo in the Tehachapi Valley of a little group of California Quail (Callipepla californica) as they foraged for seeds and vegetation among the greening grass.
These charming birds are yearround residents of the Tehachapi Mountains, and their familiar assembly calls, which have been likened to calling out “Come-BACK-here” or “ChiCA-go” are one of the soundtracks to life in our more rural areas.
These game birds are the state bird of California, and were formerly known as Valley Quail or California Valley Quail to distinguish them from the far less numerous Mountain Quail, which mostly live above 5,000 feet. However, it was repeatedly noted that California Valley Quail actually liked a variety of habitats and seemed to like foothills best of all, so in the interests of accuracy, the “Valley” part of the name has been dropped and they are now referred to as simply “California Quail.”
During the fall and winter, they form groups called coveys, which are typically families, or groups of families, that may be related to each other, that come together to overwinter as a flock and pool their survival skills.
In the spring, males and females
form couples and the coveys dissolve into pairs going off together to nest and make more quail. The Nuwä (Kawaiisu or Southern Paiute) word for quail is taarra, pronounced TAHrrah, with the “r”s rolled to make a sound like the drumming wingbeats of “flushing” quail, when the birds get startled and whir off in different directions.
NATURAL SIGHTINGS is a regular
feature of the Tehachapi News edited by Jon Hammond which showcases photos of the natural beauty that enhances the quality of life in Tehachapi. If you have a good quality image of plants, animals, insects, trees, birds, weather phenomena, etc., taken in the Tehachapi area, you may submit it to the Tehachapi News. Submissions can be dropped by the News office in the form of a print or CD, or sent by email to: editorial@tehachapinews.com.