"Any ideas about this parenting aspect for California Quail or quails in general?"

I often go to the old "Life Histories of North American Birds" by A.C. Bent for information like that. He published his encyclopedic 21-volume work over his career from 1919-1968, and the volume on Gallinaceous birds was printed in 1932. These volumes were quite readable, and had considerable anecdotal-type information.

In the section on Young "Valley Quail" he copied a paragraph from Mrs. Irene G Wheelock (Birds of California 1904):

"Incubation requires three weeks, and usually the hen alone broods the eggs. after the young are hatched they are kept in the underbrush or heavy stubble and can rarely be discovered, so expert at hiding are they. Like the California partridge they run to cover rather than fly, and they are so swift-footed that it is almost impossible to flush them. When the young are feeding, the adult males constantly call them, either to keep the covey together or to give warning of danger, and they answer each call with a faint piping note. This is not unlike the scatter call of the Eastern Bob White, but consists of two syllables in one tone, or one longer note. It is not unusual to come upon a covey of these when driving through the foothills and valleys of Southern California, but the sensation is simply of something scampering into the brush rather than a definite sight of any bird, unless the cock comes out into view for a moment to sound his warning and draw your attention from t!
he brood to his handsome self."

Also, "F.X. Holzner (Habits of the valley partridge. in the Auk 1896) says:

"I walked unsuspectingly upon a bevy of Valley Partridges (Callipepla californica vallicola), consisting of an old male and female with about 15 young ones. They were in a crevice of a fallen cottonwood-tree. On my stepping almost upon them, the male bird ran out a few feet and raised a loud call of ca-ra-ho; while the female uttered short calls, addressed to her brood. Seeing me, she picked up a young one between her legs, beat the ground sharply with her wings, and made towards the brush, in short jumps, holding the little one tightly between her legs, the remainder of the brood following her."

I love those old writers!!

Jon. Anderson
Olympia
https://jonsperegrination.blogspot.com/
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