California Quail
California Quail has surged: up 95% on the route-weighted index since 1970.
About the California Quail
The California Quail (Callipepla californica) is a North American member of the New World Quail (Odontophoridae). In this analysis it is grouped with the game birds.
- Size
- 8–11 in long (20–28 cm) — a small, round game bird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Fields, brushland, prairie and the forest floor, where it forages and nests on the ground.
- Diet
- Seeds, grain, buds, leaves and insects gathered on the ground.
- Range
- Recorded on 475 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 8 states, most concentrated in the Great Basin.
- Family
- Odontophoridae · Game birds
Notable California Quail Trends
California Quail has surged in surveyed states: up 95% on the route-weighted index since 1970.
California Quail Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, California Quail is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.79 (95% range 0.38–1.2). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±12.4%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.80 | 0.38 | 1.2 |
| 2026 | 0.80 | 0.38 | 1.2 |
| 2027 | 0.80 | 0.38 | 1.2 |
| 2028 | 0.80 | 0.38 | 1.2 |
| 2029 | 0.79 | 0.38 | 1.2 |
Where the California Quail Is Detected
BBS routes recording California Quail, sized by most recent count.
California Quail Population Trend by State
| California | +11% | 1970 | 218 |
| Idaho | +33% | 1972 | 25 |
| Montana | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Nevada | 39× | 1970 | 23 |
| New Mexico | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Oregon | -14% | 1970 | 105 |
| Utah | +832% | 1996 | 12 |
| Washington | +319% | 1970 | 89 |
California Quail Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | -66% | 1970 | 94 |
| Great Basin | +134% | 1970 | 165 |
| Northern Rockies | +91% | 1971 | 49 |
| Sierra Nevada | -47% | 1971 | 28 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | +506% | 1998 | 6 |
| Coastal California | +34% | 1970 | 119 |
| Sonoran and Mojave Deserts | +10% | 1970 | 13 |
California Quail Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 95% since 1970.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.