Game Birds of the World

The scaled quail is a bird of the arid grasslands and deserts of the North American southwest, from Colorado to central Mexico. The fairly large winter coveys remain intact until the males begin to come into reproductive condition, at this time unmated males begin their whock calling from exposed sites or crowing perches, these calls seem to function like the bob-white calls of that species in attracting unmated females. In spite of a long potential nesting season, actual egg laying by paired females may be deferred until the start of the summer rainy season.

Nests are usually located under shrubs or in some other protected and shaded site, and a clutch of 12–14 eggs is typical for initial nesting attempts. Incubation requires from 22–23 days; and although males remain near the nest and help protect it, there has only been a single reported instance of a male being observed incubating. It is known that the male sometimes takes over the care of the newly hatched brood, allowing the female to begin a second clutch. There is a high rate of nest losses from various causes, and during unusually dry years the birds may not even attempt to nest. Repeated nesting attempts usually allow for the eventual hatching of a brood, of which roughly half are likely to survive to the start of the fall hunting season. As the chicks mature, broods gradually become organized into coveys of 20–50 or more birds.