Messing with the quail

[eelgrass]

We have a few California Valley quail in the neighborhood. Not big numbers but a few pairs every year. We throw bird seed out in the yard for them.

This is going to be hard to explain. Here's what the quail call is supposed to sound like. It's a 3 note call and kind of sounds like chi-CA-go, with emphasis on the middle note.

I have a commercial quail call that I used to "talk" to them. I started screwing around one day when the young quail started learning to call. I blew Chi-ca-go. I did that over and over every time I was out in the yard.

Pretty soon the quail started doing it the same way. Now they're all doing it. It's so funny. I wish I could record them and play it back. Nothing makes me crack up more than being out in the yard and hearing how I messed with nature. Even if I'm in a bad mood I still can't help but laugh.

 

[2lumpy]

That is pretty darn amazing. I’d be tickled too. Thanks for sharing eel.

 

[eelgrass]

That is pretty darn amazing. I’d be tickled too. Thanks for sharing eel.

It's been 3 or 4 years now since I started that. Every once in a while a new quail shows up and calls the right way and it takes some time before he joins in with the crowd.

 

[2lumpy]

Love it. Never heard of anything quite like that.

 

[Bluehair]

I’m trying to teach the turkeys here to cuss like a parrot. I hope my wife never gets video of that.

That’s cool that you got them to change their local dialect. Have you told any birders about it? I bet they would get a wood pecker.

 

[Rie bread]

Coffee and a spliff to start the morning? Nothing more relaxing than a cool morning a the call of a covey of quail.

 

[eelgrass]

Coffee and a spliff to start the morning? Nothing more relaxing than a cool morning a the call of a covey of quail.

Very true. It's even more relaxing knowing "I did that".

 

[elkassassin]

No Wonder I Haven't Been Able To Call Them In Recently!

 

[runamuk]

LMAO!
Good stuff eel bilingual quail.
I love those little quail birds, One of my favorite sounds in nature.
I have several pairs that are nesting up right now around my place they should be hatching out any day now.
They’re pretty fun to watch as they grow they ain’t no bigger than a bumblebee the first week or two.

I toss a couple of coffee cans, full of black oil sunflower seeds and cracked corn out at the end of my driveway every day they love them pickin’s,
Same with about any other bird you can imagine.


Pretty much every John Wayne movie, at least the westerns have quail whistling in the background.

 

[Soj51hopeful]

Quail are an invasive species here and they’re everywhere! No season or bag limit. My kids love going to work with me and getting a few.

 

[eelgrass]

LMAO!
Good stuff eel bilingual quail.
I love those little quail birds, One of my favorite sounds in nature.
I have several pairs that are nesting up right now around my place they should be hatching out any day now.
They’re pretty fun to watch as they grow they ain’t no bigger than a bumblebee the first week or two.

I toss a couple of coffee cans, full of black oil sunflower seeds and cracked corn out at the end of my driveway every day they love them pickin’s,
Same with about any other bird you can imagine.


Pretty much every John Wayne movie, at least the westerns have quail whistling in the background.

That's one of my wife's favorite things to do is watch the hen bring in the baby quail to feed. The male sits on the fence and acts as a guard. There's usually about 15 chicks starting out but lucky if 5 or 6 live to be adults. I think our cool damp summer weather takes a toll on them when they're tiny. At least that's my theory.

 

[runamuk]

Quail are an invasive species here and they’re everywhere! No season or bag limit. My kids love going to work with me and getting a few.

I can't help but think you might be confusing Quail with Collard Doves?

 

[runamuk]

That's one of my wife's favorite things to do is watch the hen bring in the baby quail to feed. The male sits on the fence and acts as a guard. There's usually about 15 chicks starting out but lucky if 5 or 6 live to be adults. I think our cool damp summer weather takes a toll on them when they're tiny. At least that's my theory.

Yup, cool damp weather will sure take a toll, at least until they get their guard feathers filled in.
Around here feral cats are ruff on em.
But I do a pretty good job of keeping them stinkin' damn things in check also.
Magpies and Seagulls take a pretty good share as well.

 

[Soj51hopeful]

I can't help but think you might be confusing Quail with Collard Doves?

Nope. Eurasian doves and quail.