Gambel's quail

One of my favorite animals around us are the quail. They are the definition of cute. Well, the cottontail rabbits hopping around are pretty cute, but the quail make me laugh. Road runners and javalinas are interesting to have around, but they aren't fun like the quail.

There is something so dorky about quail. They skitter, they bob, they nod their topknots as they scurry. This is a male scurrying along the wall outside our window.


Photos can't catch the bobbing and nodding. It's especially wonderful when you have a whole group of quail (called a covey of quail),which can be as many as twenty dorky birds scurrying, bobbing and nodding.

If a quail runs across the road in front of your car, you better stop because the whole covey will frantically scurry after the first. They just have to follow that first guy, so you'd best patiently stop and wait until all is clear.

Like so many animals around here, quail run very fast. They only fly if they have to and for only short distances. It's entertaining to have such cute, dorky birds wandering around my yard.