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Mountain quail are found in the mountainous regions of the West Coast, from northern Baja to Washington and eastward into Idaho. They prefer thick, brushy mountainous areas ranging in elevation from 2,000 feet to 10,000 feet.
Mountain quail are the largest quail species. Identifiable by two long, straight plumes that jut slightly backward from top of head.  Gray-blue breast and neck, brown throat patch, and flanks that are heavily barred with...

Scaled Quail are found in the arid regions of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and central Mexico. Prefers open areas of dry grassland with mixed cactus and shrubbery.
Pale gray overall, with a distinctive scaled pattern on the neck, chest and underside.  This species lacks a plume but does have a crest that resembles a tuft of cotton, hence the commonly used nickname.
Breeding occurs from April through September, depending...

“Western” quail is an admittedly broad category, as it includes a total of five quail species that live west of the Mississippi, Gambel’s, valley, Mearns, scaled, and mountain.
To the newcomer, distinguishing the various western quail species is made somewhat difficult by the confusion of common names. Two species share the common name “blue quail,” and several species are known by completely different names in different areas.
What’s more, the...