California quail

American  

[kal-uh-fawrn-yuh kweyl, -fawr-nee-uh] / ˌkæl əˈfɔrn yə ˌkweɪl, -ˈfɔr ni ə /

noun

1. a grayish-brown, slightly bluish true quail, Callipepla californica, with a distinctive forward-curving plume, or topknot: inhabiting woodlands and shrubby areas of western North America, it is often confused with the Gambel's quail, but the California quail has a somewhat shorter topknot and, on the male, a dark brown cap.

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Etymology

Origin of California quail

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Example Sentences

And what about the California quail, the state bird, running for cover at a pace slower than that of the advancing fire?

From Washington Post • Nov. 16, 2018

Mice and California quail feed on newly exposed seeds on the ashen ground, and they are hunted by owls and hawks.

From Slate • Nov. 14, 2018

In dry years, hardly any quail breed, and the survivors are more like Gambel’s quail than like California quail.

From New York Times • Dec. 28, 2011

This year's youth-only hunt for ducks, geese, pheasant, California quail, bobwhite and chucker is set for Sept. 24-25.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 4, 2011

But California quail can not be hunted successfully without a good dog.

From Game Birds and Game Fishes of the Pacific Coast by Payne, Harry Thom