>Queries posted by S. Downes and myself regarding the Scaled Quail in
>Washington remain without response.
>
>On Wed, 8 Jan 1997, S. Downes indicated that he had seen Scaled Quail this
>past June (1996) near Wenas, at the beginning of Umptanum Road, and queried
>the status of this introduced species in Washington.
>
>On Sat, 11 Jan 1997, I posted about the sighting of a single Scaled Quail in
>the Lower Crab Creek area in October 1991 -- yeah, yeah, I know... slightly
>belated :-). This was near an area where Scaled Quail were released by the
>game department some years (decades?) earlier. I was hoping that there would
>be some response on this species, it's history in Washington, and general
>opinions. I assume that there must be at least one *tweeter* who is
>knowledgeable about this and it's current known or suspected status in
>Washington. Hopefully, this isn't such an oversight on my part as to be of
>such common knowledge as to be deemed unworthy of comment. I'm serious...
>inquiring minds have just got to know these things :-))
>
>Scaled Quail strikes me as a rather unlikely choice for successful
>introduction and sustained establishment in Washington. Of course, I could
>be totally wrong... wouldn't be the first time :-). I tend to think that
>this winter (snow) and the last one (cold) east of the Cascades hasn't done
>this population much good, if not just plain having snuffed any lingering
>survivors out altogether.
>
>Richard Rowlett <Pagodroma at aol.com>
>Bellevue, WA

Check out what the weather has been like in their normal range recently.
Winter in west Texas can be brutal--but perhaps for not as long?

--Jerry <tangren at wsu.edu>