Mountain Quail

Oreortyx pictus (Douglas, 1829)

Mountain Quail, Oreortyx pictus, breeds across North America and Middle America from south-western Canada to Baja California. It is a New World quail in the family Odontophoridae and the only member of Oreortyx. A ground-dwelling bird of mountainous chaparral, it also uses wooded areas and lava reefs in parts of California. Its short, rounded wings and long, bare legs suit its life on the ground, and it is best known for its topknot, which is shorter in females and varies with season and locality.

Order

Galliformes

Family

Odontophoridae — New World Quail

Breeding range

North America, Middle America: sw Canada to Baja California