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California Quail

California Quail line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

California Quail full color illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The California Quail was completed on 2.02.10. Often when I'm hiking in the Bay Area I come across these birds. Occasionally it's hard not to! The males often sit in prominent places - such as the top of a fence post - and call out loudly. Or perhaps I just catch a glimpse of a family as they trot out from one side of the road to another disappearing into the underbrush. The drawing is based on a photo by 'Photo Patty' and from a request from my friend Barron.

Information about the California Quail:

The California Quail - also called the California Valley or Valley Quail - is a small, ground dwelling bird of the New World Quail family. They are highly social birds often gathering in small flocks called "coveys." While they are native to the southwestern US, they have been introduced into areas of British Columbia, Hawaii, Chile and New Zealand where they now have sustainable populations. The birds are herbivores, feeding mainly on seed, leaves and other plant matter. The quails are known for the male's distinctive forward drooping head plume. They are the state bird of California.