Callipepla californica (California Quail)
Credit: Rauri Bowie
about the species
The California Quail, the state bird of California, is resident throughout the Pacific Slope of western North America. Four of five subspecies breed within California, of which C. c. catalinensis is a species of special concern and is found only on Santa Catalina Island. The California Quail is primarily associated with chaparral, sage brush, valley grasslands, and riparian, oak, and foothill woodlands. It has experienced population fluctuations and local declines or extirpations due to feral cats and habitat fragmentation.
why species was selected
A reference genome from California Quail will allow us to investigate genetic structure across California in Mountain and Gambel’s Quail. Mountain Quail, which are more distantly related, are primarily associated with montane habitats throughout California and Gambel’s Quail with more arid areas in the southeast corner of the state. Gambel’s Quail is the sister-taxon to California Quail and they form a narrow hybrid zone in the Coachella valley area.
