The mountain quail (Oreortyx pictus ) is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. This species is the only one in the genus Oreortyx, which is sometimes included in Callipepla. This is not appropriate, however, as the mountain quail's ancestors have diverged from other New World quails earlier than the bobwhites, no later than 6 mya.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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GranivoreSeed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of pla...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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FrugivoreA frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts, and seeds. Approx...
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OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
An insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Gliding flight is heavier-than-air flight without the use of thrust and is employed by gliding animals. Birds in particular use gliding flight to m...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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Partial MigrantPartial migration is when within a migratory species or even within a single population, some individuals migrate while others do not.
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starts withMountain quail are small ground-dwelling birds in the New World quail family. They have relatively short, rounded wings and long, featherless legs. These birds are easily recognized by their top knots, which are shorter in the female. They have a brown face, gray breast, brown back and primaries, and heavily white barred underside.
Mountain quail inhabit west of the Rocky Mountains, from the United States to the Baja peninsula Mexico. These birds are non-migratory, however, some populations may be altitudinal migrants in some mountain ranges. They inhabit mountainous chaparral, coniferous and mixed forests. During hot months they can often be found in brushy habitats along streams and rivers.
Mountain quail are diurnal and spend most of their time on the ground; they primarily move about by walking and can move surprisingly quickly through brush and undergrowth. They may also jump or climb into trees or shrubs to reach leaves or berries. Any flight is usually short and explosive, with many rapid wingbeats followed by a slow glide to the ground. Mountain quail are gregarious only in the late summer, fall, and winter, when the adults and immature young congregate into family groups that may contain up to 20 birds.
Mountain quail are herbivores (granivores, folivores, frugivores) and their diet consists primarily of seeds, plant matter, and berries. They may also feed on some insects and fungi.
Mountain quail are monogamous; they form pair bonds and both parents assist in raising the young. The female typically lays 9 to 10 eggs in a simple scrape concealed in vegetation, often at the base of a tree or shrub and usually close to water. Incubation lasts from 21-25 days, usually performed by the female and rarely by the male. The chicks are precocial; they hatch fully developed and are able to leave the nest with their parents within hours of hatching.
Mountain quail are not considered threatened at present, being plentiful across their wide range. However, despite that these birds suffer from habitat loss mainly due to urbanization, expansion of agriculture, and grazing.
According to the What Bird resource, the total population size of the Mountain quail is around 160,000 individuals. According to the All About Birds resource the total breeding population size of this species is 260,000 breeding birds. Overall, currently, Mountain quail are classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and their numbers today are stable.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...