California Quail

A plump, round-bodied quail with a distinctive forward-curving black head plume, usually encountered in coveys scratching for seeds and insects on the ground in scrubby chaparral, brushy edges and open woodland. It is most active in the cooler hours around dawn and dusk, retreating to dense cover during the heat of the day, and coveys are often first detected by their loud, three-note call before they are seen. Brushy trails near water sources in early morning offer good chances of a sighting, especially outside the heat of summer.