Female California Quails (Identification Guide)

The California quail is a species native to the west coast of North America. Their range ranges from British Columbia to Baja California, Mexico. They also occur inland, throughout areas of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah.

This extremely social bird often travels in families. These groups, or coveys, usually consist of pairs and chicks. If you come across a group of people, you can easily identify the females and males in the group. The two sexes have different plumage colors, showing behavioral differences.

In this complete guide, we’ll take a closer look at the characteristics of the female California quail. These traits will include appearance, nesting, feeding and vocal behaviour. Read on to discover more!

Close up of a female California quail on the ground

How do you know if a California quail is male or female?

Male and female California quail have similar plumage, except that the females are grayish brown overall and lack the obvious facial markings of the males. These characteristics make it simple to distinguish adult quail.

On the other hand, male and female juveniles look more like adult female California quail. Therefore, it can be difficult to determine the sex of a bird at this stage, until they molt and grow their adult plumage.

Young quail do have shorter topknots and a softer appearance. These details can help you identify adult women from teens.

female california quail

male california quail

What does a female California quail look like?

The female California quail has a gray head and no facial markings. The feathers on her forehead are slightly darker than the rest of her face. Her crown is light brownish gray with a dark brown bun on top. The neck and upper back have dark brown markings, while the chin and throat are dull white with gray stripes. The rest of her body is taupe with white flecks.

A female California quail standing on some old machinery

Do female California quail have top knots?

Female California quail have the same top section as male quail. However, the topknot is shorter and less full in females.

The longest plumage of adult females is usually 13-18mm, while the longest plumage of adult males may be 28-38mm.

What is the female California quail called?

Similar to chickens, female California quail are often referred to as hens. Their mates are called roosters.

Are female California quail bigger than males?

In terms of overall mass, female California quail are similar in size to males. However, males and females do vary in body weight depending on the season. Female California quail weigh their heaviest just before laying eggs. During the process of hatching and raising young, females lose mass.

On the other hand, males are at their heaviest entering the breeding season. After mating with a mate, they begin to lose mass. On average, males also have slightly longer wings, tails and beaks than females.

Male (right) and female (left) California quail, perched on a pole

behavioral difference

Female California quail have some behavioral differences from males. The most striking contrasts occur in vocalization, nesting and feeding behavior. We will take a closer look at these differences in the following paragraphs.

sing and call

California quail don’t sing, but they do have a set of calls that fall into three main categories – advertising, aggressive and rallying. Usually during the breeding season, males make advertising and rally calls more frequently. Women occasionally use advertising calls when they are looking for a mate.

Rally calls are used by both sexes and can be heard in any season. However, spring calls do increase as mating season begins. This vocalization is most often used when the pair separates. Female rally calls generally contain fewer syllables than male calls.

Quail also has a series of contact numbers that usually sound like this – ut – ut, mo – mo, pit – pit. The contact call can be used to sound an alarm, signal the movement of a swarm, or let the swarm know that food has been found.

Frontal photo of a female California quail

nesting and feeding

Female California quail typically build nests. Nests are usually simple structures located on the ground, lined with plant matter. Sometimes stronger nests are built in trees or dense bushes.

After laying the eggs, the female hatches them—often herself, while the male keeps an eye out for threats. Male California quail do form broods, but unless the females die, there is little evidence of their involvement.

After the eggs hatch, the females hatch the chicks for the first two weeks (evenings, cold mornings, and hot days) because they cannot regulate their body temperature on their own.

Occasionally the male also broods the young, but he primarily acts as a sentinel. Chicks leave the nest with their parents to feed. The female is primarily responsible for helping the chicks find food.

California quail hen (female) sitting on the nest

Can a female California quail raise her young alone?

If an accident happens to a female California quail’s mate, she will likely be successful in raising her young. Unlike other birds, female California quail do not rely on their mates to help guard the nest and provide food for weeks.

Once the chicks hatch, the quail will often join the communal squad. The offspring of two or more females bond together, and these family groups travel and forage together. Chicks are much safer with other adults present to act as sentinels.

It’s also possible that a lone male will adopt the chicks and help the female care for them.