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California Quail Male Of all the US quail, I think this one is the most beautiful. Although I have yet to see it in the wild, I sketched this bird from a zoo photo with pastel pencil on an acid-free pebbled grey paper as a companion to my Bobwhite Quail sketch. The California Quail, Callipepla californica, is a small ground-dwelling bird common in the chaparral and other brushy areas of western North America. These birds have a curving crest or "plume" that droops forward, black in males and brown for females. Males have a dark brown cap and a black face with a brown back, a grey-blue chest, brown flanks with white streaks, and a light brown belly. Females and immature birds are mainly grey-brown with a light-colored belly. Surprisingly, the California quail is quite tolerant of people. It coexists well at the edges of urban areas, but the population is declining with increasing human usage of wild areas. The original pastel pencil sketch, presented in a 0.75" wide cherry wood frame (triple matted white on dark brown on cream to an outer dimension of 17" x 14.75"), is available for $650.00. Limited edition prints and note cards are also available. Click here for availability and price.