Western Bird Guide: Birds of the Rockies and West to the Pacific

by Charles K. Reed

MOUNTAIN QUAIL.

292. Oreortyx picta. 11 inches.

This is a beautiful bird, with its long black crest and rich coloring. Upper parts an olive brown; the top of the head a rich gray. Throat and sides a beautiful shade of chestnut, with wide bands of black and white on the sides; breast a clear gray. Female very similar to the male, but not as brightly marked and with a shorter crest.

Nest.—These birds nest abundantly in the mountainous region of northern California, and in Oregon, and gradually increasing more northerly. The nest is placed on the ground under bush or grass for protection. Eight to fifteen eggs of a pale reddish buff color are laid (1.35 × 1.05).