Subj : ES Picture of the Day 29  2022
To   : All
From : Dan Richter
Date : Fri Apr 29 2022 12:01:28

 EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes
and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and
archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


 California Quail After a Snowstorm

   April 29, 2022

    Quailhome1391c_6mar22

    Quailhome1389c_6mar22

   Photographer:  Ray Boren

   Summary Author:  Ray Boren

   One can anthropomorphically imagine what the birds in this flock, or
    covey, of California quail might be thinking: Wasn’t it spring
   yesterday? Where did all this snow come from? How are we going to
   scratch and forage for seeds and other edibles as we usually do here a
   few times every day? The weather indeed had been spring-like, but the
   transition from winter into spring can be fickle. More than a foot
   (30.5 centimeters) of snow fell the day I took these portraits, on
   March 6, 2022, while furtively peering out a sliding door into my
   backyard in Salt Lake City, Utah.

   The plump  California quail (Callipepla californica) is a species
   known for its curved head-top plumes. The mostly gray males have strong
   face markings, with black-to-gray shaded faces and bibs, as well as a
   white border stripe on the neck and brow. Females are lighter overall,
   brown to gray, and without bold face designs. Both genders have white
   to light-brown scale-like patterns on their bellies. The birds’
    traditional range is in brushy terrain from Baja California to the
   American Northwest, and the species was designated  California’s
   official state bird in 1931. A cadenced warning call, often raised by a
   male sentry perched higher than quail down on the ground, has been
   described as sounding like “Chi-ca-go,” which, of course, is not in
   California.

   So, what are these West Coast natives doing in Utah? According to the
    Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, California quail — a game bird
   often called valley quail in California itself — were introduced to the
   Salt Lake City area in 1869 by a military officer who released 14 pair
   at nearby Fort Douglas. They thrived in the low foothills. Other
   releases have been made in the past 150-plus years. Though often
   habituated to humans, the quail remain cautious. When frightened or
   startled, the birds quickly  flush and fly short distances toward
   safety.
     * Salt Lake City, Utah Coordinates: 40.7608, -111.8910

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    More...

Animal Links

     *  Animal Diversity Web
     *  ARKive
     *  BirdLife International
     *  Bug Guide
     *  Discover Life
     *  Integrated Taxonomic Information System
     *  Microbial Life Resources
       Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the
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        Universities Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu
 
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