You'd think that the quail of the Anza-Borrego Desert would be the Gambel's Quail. But California Quail is actually more common here. This is one of only a couple of areas where California and Gambel's Quail come into contact. They hybridize in this overlap zone. Reports of either species, especially Gambel's should pay attention to any mixed characters, especially the crown (red or brown), forehead (black or yellow), and lower breast (unmarked cream or scaled).
If you are interested in the identification of hybrid quail and their separation in the field, see my post:
ID Hybrid California x Gambel's Quail.
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| California Quail. April 28, 2019. Agua Caliente, California. |
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