We’ve seen this
bird along the hillside trails above Santee City Hall. The California quail
happens to be the state bird.
They have a
distinct curving crest or plume, made of six feathers, that droops
forward: black in males and brown for females; the flanks are brown with white
streaks.Here’s what Wikipedia says about them: The California Quail is a highly sociable bird that often gathers in small flocks known as "coveys". One of their daily communal activities is a dust bath. A group of quail will select an area where the ground has been newly turned or is soft, and using their underbellies, will burrow downward into the soil some one to two inches.They then wriggle about in the indentations they have created, flapping their wings and ruffling their feathers, causing dust to rise in the air. They seem to prefer sunny places in which to create these dust baths.
