Just Out

This little quail is just out of the egg this morning. His mom is taking him for his first walk. Along the way he flapped his wings a couple of times. A little later he was joined by six of his brothers and sisters. The mom was teaching them how to get through a chicken wire fence so they could escape from predators. In the afternoon they started a little parade with Mom, Kids, and Dad in that order. Gambel's Quails are said to mate for life and they really hang together. Early in the season it is normal to see coveys of 10 or 12 little birds, but later in the year you see only 4 or 5 little ones. Attrition is high and there are a lot of predators.