BIOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE SCALED QUAIL

TAXONOMY

 DESCRIPTION

THE SCALED QUAIL, ALSO KNOWN AS THE BLUE QUAIL OR "COPETE DE ALGODON", IS A VERY COMMON BIRD IN THE DESERTS OF MEXICO AND THE SOUTH EAST PART OF THE UNITED STATES, IT IS GENERALLY ASSOCIATED WITH LANDSCAPES WHERE  MEZQUITE IS ABUNDANT BETWEEN DRY STREAMS AND SMALL SIZED PLANTS. IT IS CONSTANTLY SEEN RUNNING AND FROM TIME TO TIME REALISES SHORT FLIGHTS TO FLEE FROM HIS ENEMIES

THE OVERAL LENGTH OF THESE BIRDS IS AROUND THE 30cm., THEY HAVE SHORT WINGS AND HAVE 10 PRIMARY ROUNDED FEATHERS. BOTH SEXES ARE SIMILAR AND ONLY IN THE REPRODUCTION SEASON THE MALE'S HEAD AND NECK TURN SLIGHTLY BLUER (SCHEMNITZ, 1994)

DISTRIBUTION

THE DISTRIBUTION IN MEXICO OF THIS PARTICULAR QUAIL INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING STATES: FROM THE NORTH WEST PART OF JALISCO, GUANAJUATO, QUERETARO, HIDALGO, WEST TAMAULIPAS, NORTH WEST SONORA AND CHIHUAHUA, NUEVO LEON, COAHUILA AND NORTH DURANGO (AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGIST, 1983; JOHNSGARD, 1988; SIBLEY AND MONROE, 1990).

ECOSYSTEMS

THEY CAN BE FOUND FROM THE GREAT SEMIDESERTIC PLAINS, AREAS WITH SHORT SHRUBS, PIÑORENO PINE FORESTS AND AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY THEY ARE ASSOCIATED WITH PLACES WITH MEZQUITES, SHRUBS, NOPALES, YUCCA, CACTUS, ETC. (DEGRAAF et al 1991; SCHEMNITZ, 1961; SUTTON, 1967).

REPRODUCTION

THEY ARE MONOGAMIST ANIMALS, THE REPRODUCTION SEASON MAY VARY ACCORDING TO THE REGION AND THE WEATHER, IN ADDITION RAIN INFLUENCES IN A VERY IMPORTANT WAY. IN MEXICO THE LAYING OF THE EGGS VARIES FROM MARCH TO JUNE. THEY CAN LAY FROM 9 TO 16 EGGS BEING A NORMAL AVERAGE FROM 12 TO 14 EGGS PER NEST. THE INCUBATION LASTS FROM 21 TO 23 DAYS AND IS ONLY REALISED BY THE FEMALE. THE EGG LAYING IS POSSIBLE IN TWO OCCASIONS IN THE SAME REPRODUTION SEASON (HOFFMAN 1965).

DEVELOPMENT

THESE BIRDS LAST A SHORT TIME IN THE NEST AFTER THE BIRTH AND ARE ACCOMPANIED BY BOTH PARENTS WHO SHOW THEM THE FOOD (EHRLICH, DOBKIN, WHEYE, 1988). AND REACH THE SIZE OF THE ADULTS FROM 11 TO 15 WEEKS (JOHNSGARD, 1988).

SEASONAL MOVEMENTS

THE SCALED QUAIL IS CLEARLY SEDENTARY, HIS MOVEMENTS IN WINTER VARY FROM 9 TO 34 HECTARES (JOHNSGARD, 1988) (EHRLICH ET AL. 1988). BUT IT CAN INCREASE A LITTLE DURING REPRODUCTION SEASON (GOODWIN AND HUNGERFORD, 1977).

FEEDING

QUAILS ARE CONSIDERED OPORTUNISTS AS FAR AS THEIR FEEDING REFERS TO, SINCE THEY EAT DEPENDING ON THE AVAILABILITY ON WHICH THEY COUNT ON. THE SEEDS MAKE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THEIR DIET, LIKE THOSE OF MEZQUITE, (NOWAK et al  1994) SUNFLOWER, ACACIAS, SOME SEEDS FROM ZACATES, IN ADDITION THEY FEED FROM SOME LEAVES, FRUITS AND INSECTS. (OODWIN; HUNGERFORD, 1977; LEOPOLD ET AL. 1981). THE DIET DURING THE SUMMER IS GREAT IN GREEN VEGETATION AND INSECTS WHICH ARE AN IMPORTATN HUMIDITY SOURCE.

WATER

THE WATER REQUIREMENTS ARE NOT YET ESTABLISHED, SINCE SOME STUDIES REPORT THAT QUAILS HAVE BEEN FOUND 25km. FROM WATER SOURCES. (SCHEMNITZ, 1961) (JOHNSGARD, 1988).

PREDATORS

THERE EXIST SOME PREDATORS WHERE SOME STAND OUT, SOME MAMMALS LIKE COYOTES, MONTES CATS, PUMAS AND FOX (ZINDER, 1967), REPTILES LIKE SNAKES, BUT THOSE WHO CAN REALLY AFFECT QUAIL POPULATIONS ARE THE BIRDS OF PREY, WHICH ARE DIVERSE TYPES OF HAWKS, SPARROWHAWKS AND EAGLES, AND OWLS (GOODWIN AND HUNGERFORD, 1977).
MEN CAN ALSO AFFECT QUAIL POPULATION BECAUSE OF THEM BEING A VERY APPRECIATED SPECIES FOR HUNTING. (CAMPBELL et al 1973).

SPECIES' DATA
COMMON NAME:	SCALED QUAIL
SCIENTIFIC NAME:	Callipepla squamata
TYPE OF GAIN:	CINEGETIC
TIPO OF MARKING:	CINEGETIC LICENSE

BIOLOGICAL EVENTS OF THE SCALED QUAIL

EVENT

J

F

M

A

M

J

J

A

S

O

N

D

COURTSHIP

X

X

X

X

X

X

NESTING

X

X

X

X

APPEARANCE

X

X

X

X

X

MATURITY

X

X

X

X

X

X