It's Baby Quail Season

In the neighborhoods as well as in the preserve, the tiny round chicks of Gambel’s Quail can be seen frequently now. This is a native bird that has a pretty tight territory specific to the desert environment of the far southwest United States. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Gambels_Quail/  These birds always strike me as comical with their topknots that put me in mind of “built-in fishing lures” leading the way. Their chicks are quickly mobile while still tiny. With large brood sizes - as many as 8 chicks, the chicks look like little round fluff balls running in a straight line.  Always one parent in front and the other bringing up the rear. Even once the chicks have all achieved adulthood, I’ve observed how the family stays together. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Gambels Quail solo. Rather, you will hear them in the desert undergrowth, murmuring and talking to each other. Truly a ground bird species, even upon disturbance they will wait until the last moment to take flight.