Gambel’s quail feathers are used in fly tying for creating soft hackles and collars on wet flies. Notable patterns featuring these feathers include Gambel’s Bugger and Gambel’s Golden Stonefly.
Gambel’s quail (Callipepla gambelii) is a small, ground-dwelling bird native to the desert regions of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Texas, Sonora, New Mexico-border Chihuahua, and the Colorado River region of Baja California. The species is named after William Gambel, a 19th-century naturalist and explorer of the Southwestern United States.
These birds are easily recognized by their distinctive top knots and scaly undersides. They display bluish-gray plumage with males featuring copper feathers on their heads, black faces, and white stripes above their eyes. Gambel’s quail measure about 11 inches (28 cm) in length, with a wingspan of 14 to 16 inches (36 to 41 cm). They have relatively short, rounded wings and long, featherless legs, and their diet mainly consists of plant matter and seeds.
Gambel’s quail can be confused with California quail due to their similar plumage. However, they can usually be distinguished by their range. When range does not help, California quail have a more scaly appearance and lack the black patch on the lower breast seen in male Gambel’s quail.
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