The Mountain Quail is a western North American quail with long, slender head plumes. It uses mountain forests and brush at lower elevations in different seasons.
Its plumage mixes gray, white, and chestnut, and long, slender plumes extend from the crown and droop forward.
Mountain Quail nest in concealed depressions on the ground. Both sexes can incubate eggs. Soon after hatching, chicks leave the nest and follow parents to food, which they pick up themselves. Nest cover and nearby brood habitat both support reproduction.
From 2001 to 2010, wild quail were moved from southwestern Oregon to depleted or formerly occupied areas elsewhere in the state. Radio tracking documented 150 nests;at least one egg hatched in 110. These records describe breeding after translocation.
Sixty-eight nests were incubated exclusively by males and 78 exclusively by females. Males also regularly contributed to brood care. Tracking sex and parental behaviour revealed a substantial male role at both the egg and chick stages.
IUCN Red List · Least Concern · Global
IUCN lists Least Concern globally. The Oregon study identifies translocation as a potential tool for restoring locally depleted or extirpated populations. Monitoring nesting and hatching after release helps evaluate outcomes beyond the number of birds released.