The California Quail, California Valley Quail or Valley Quail Callipepla californica, is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. It is the state bird of California.
This Quail has been introduced to New Zealand and is now common on both islands.
These birds have a 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. Males have a dark brown cap and a black face with a brown back, a grey-blue chest and a light brown belly. Females and immature birds are mainly grey-brown with a light-colored belly. Their closest relative is Gambel's Quail which has a more southerly distribution and, a longer crest (2.5 inches), a brighter head and a scalier appearance. The two species separated about 1-2 million years ago, during the Late Pliocene or Early Plostocens. – Wikipedia.
These photos were taken at Zoolandia, Wellington, NZ.
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