Here in my subdivision stretched out 2 miles along a ridge in north Mason County the quail are often seen out in the open crossing yards and roads or feeding out in the open. When startled they will dart for cover but they all go at once, if not all in the same direction. If there is not immediate cover around the adult will manage to scrunch all the chicks under itself. I was able to photograph this last year. I had the fun of watching an adult male do so last summer just below the window I watch their feeding area from.

The adults have what I call a 'covey call' of soft, low sounds almost like a cluck they keep the kids together and moving along. They also have a harsher and louder 'get over here now' sound when a chick doesn't keep up with the brood. Once the chicks are a couple weeks old they don't use these calls as much since by then the chicks can fly short distances.

When the family feeds and both parents are present one of the parents keep watch as the rest feed, scratch gravel, or dust bathe. I have seen the adults use their long plumes to pull dust onto themselves. I've not seen the behavior noted below with the adult calling attention to itself while the chicks flee for cover. Maybe it's a California quail behavior.

Another call I've heard the adults make, usually during the non-breeding season, is almost an argument sound. It reminds me of a couple of long standing arguing about where to go for dinner or which direction to go.

Mary Hrudkaj
Belfair/Tahuya

________________________________
From: Tweeters <tweeters-bounces at mailman11.u.washington.edu> on behalf of Jon. Anderson and Marty Chaney <festuca at comcast.net>
Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2020 2:46 PM
To: Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Quail parenting

"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 the 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/<https://eur05.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fjonsperegrination.blogspot.com%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7C79a7558e49234dd6d28c08d82f51ed4b%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637311376214332046&sdata=30neVfhCiZnbzB0ee43SllS8h%2F%2FVkPLwSJfOdfBZZkc%3D&reserved=0>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/pipermail/tweeters/attachments/20200724/28894d3c/attachment.html>