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Monday, April 20, 2015

Quail and other desert wildlife



I never really saw so many quail before moving to the desert.  They’re all over roaming the sagebrush-filled chaparrals.  I can watch them from my office window running in groups between tumbleweeds, cactus, and other desert plants.  Their feet scurry through the red dirt and around fallen twigs and other debris from plants that didn’t make it through some previous winter.

How these little “desert chickens” survive is beyond my comprehension.  They’re subject to harsh conditions winter and summer, not to mention predators like the birds of prey and coyotes that thrive in abundance here.

We feed the quail along with all the other critters that venture by.  They know we won’t hurt them, although the quail are more cautious.  The chipmunks have become so acquainted with us that we can walk right up to them.  They’re no longer afraid and don’t rush off to their little holes, which lead to underground burrows all over our yard.

Male and female quail

The quail act just like chickens, scratching at the ground to turn up seed.  The young ones that hatch every May do the same.  It’s comical to watch a quail about two inches tall doing the “chicken dance” just like its parents.



 Male quail standing guard
 
They come through in groups daily and always post a sentinel on the block wall.  This is probably instinct to keep a lookout for predators.  The adults take turns with the chicks and one will keep watch while the others eat and then they switch.  The families are fierce when it comes to their offspring and don’t like any other family getting close.  They will fight each other to protect their little ones.

Quail with chicks

The small chicks are mindful of their parents at all times and are good to follow them everywhere and not venture out on their own until they’re much older.  Even the teenagers stay close to mom and dad.  I guess there’s power in numbers and a loan quail would be easy pickings for a hungry raptor.

At night, I hear the calls out in the desert as they gather their families before sunset.  The mournful and persistent sounds drift through the evening air.  Sometimes the adult quail perch on the wall in back and look towards the desert calling their loved ones.  This moaning wail goes on and on sometimes and we know if someone is lost.  It’s almost a frantic cry of desperation as the sun sinks behind the mountains and darkness creeps in over the bluffs.

Each day the families come to eat and drink and we see the little ones numbers dwindle as the days drift on toward summer.  This is probably why there can be as many as two dozen chicks in one group.  The survival of the species counts on that many eggs because usually less than half of the chicks will make it to adulthood.

10 comments:

  1. This is very interesting Sunni. The quails are much prettier than chickens. It's sad that so many chicks get lost.

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    1. Hi Vashti,

      I guess they are more interesting than chickens but they do remind me of a chicken when they scratch for seed. They're probably smarter because they post a guard as a look out. A chicken would never do that.

      The desert is a harsh environment with many predators.

      Thanks for reading and leaving a comment.

      Sunni

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  2. Aww, we like quail. We had them here when our development was first being built but they moved on when things got too noisy. Good use of Q!

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    1. Colehaus,

      Thank goodness for quail because a Q word is hard to come up with.

      All the new developments here keep chasing the animals further away, but our house backs up to the desert so that's why we have so many. Sometimes we have a dozen mated adult quail and their babies in the yard.

      Thanks for reading and leaving a comment.

      Sunni

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  3. Great minds thing a like that we both chose quails! I was actually very grateful to get the pictures that I did of them :) I do hope we have babies that I get to see. When we lived in Murrieta and saw the babies, that's the time we also saw the snake.......

    That would be sad to hear the cry, calling out to one that could be lost.

    betty

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  4. Betty,

    I have tons of quail pictures because they're in my yard daily. I've taken so many pictures since moving here ten and a half years ago. Because my backyard backs up to the desert, sometimes it's like waching National Geographic from my patio.

    We have snakes that come in to drink water but I've never seen them hunting any of the birds or babies. I think they're more apt to go after lizards. I think the roadrunners and the raptors are the worst enemies of the wildlife around here.

    Thanks for leaving a comment.

    Sunni

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  5. Quails are a popular bird to hunt here in Kansas. Along with doves and pheasants

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    1. Paula,

      They do hunt them in places. I'm not a huntress and don't think I ever could be.

      Thanks for reading and visiting me during the challenge.

      Sunni

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  6. I love quail! We have them here too and they're always just so cute to watch. Elle @ Erratic Project Junkie

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    Replies
    1. Elle,

      I love the quail too and will miss them when I move...if I do.

      Thanks for reading.

      Sunni

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Sunni