Borderlands News Unraveling the Mysteries of Montezuma Quail article by Louis A. Harveson, Ph.D. and Abel Guevara

photos by Louis A. Harveson, Ph.D. and Patricia Moody Harveson

(San Angelo). However, their distribution is currently restricted to a small population around the Real, Kinney, Edwards counties region and the desert grasslands and mountains of the Trans-Pecos. Behavior Montezuma quail are masters at camouflage. More than other quails, Montezuma are reluctant to fly and opt for crouching down or remaining motionless to evade predators. In good habitat, they are virtually invisible. They are almost impossible to detect in good cover. Good cover comes in the form of perennial bunchgrasses like bluestems and sideoats grama. Many unsuspecting wanderers are Like northern bobwhites, Montezuma quail are sexually dimorphic with males exhibiting first introduced to Montezuma elaborate coloration and females sporting drab plumage.

o other quail in Texas is more mysterious than the Montezuma. Montezuma Nquail are known by a variety of names, including Mearns’ quail, black quail, crazy quail, fool’s quail and harlequin quail. These names reveal some of their more common characteristics — their peculiarity. With an oversized, bluish bill; bugged- out eyes; raptor-like claws and striking coloration, Montezuma quail certainly stand out from the smaller quails in the state (bobwhite, scaled, and Gambel’s).

Starting back as early as 1999, have provided a summary of throughout West Texas and the Borderlands Research some of the more interesting the majority of the Edwards Institute has been studying this observations and findings from Plateau. In fact, early records peculiar quail in West Texas, those studies. place Montezuma quail as southern Arizona, and northern far east as Bexar County Mexico to better understand Distribution (San Antonio) and as far this peculiar quail. Below, we Montezuma quail once ranged north as Tom Green County Montezuma quail.

26 | Texas Wildlife | November 2010 Texas-Wildlife.org To evade predators, Montezuma quail crouch down and remain motionless.

The mottled appearance of this female Montezuma blends in well with her surroundings.

quail as they burst into air seeds and other foods, but been legally hunted in Texas from underneath their feet. Montezuma quail dig for their in over 30 years. With such Motorists often see Montezuma meals. Montezuma quail are a long span with a closed quail along roadsides or well-equipped for digging season, Montezuma quail are in the middle of the road. for their meals with their inadvertently referred to as the Unfortunately, the invisibility strong legs and elongated “nongame game bird.” In fact, defense strategy does not fare claws. Another element that Montezuma quail sightings well for Montezuma quail when is common in Montezuma are coveted by the growing they are trying to disappear quail habitat is topography. ecotourism industry of the into the asphalt-covered Montezuma quail inhabit most Big Bend region -- so much highway. Collision and death of the larger mountain ranges so that Montezuma quail have been adopted as the flagship are common results. of the Trans-Pecos at elevation Strong legs and pronounced higher than 4,000 feet. Pine species for the region where claws make the Montezuma quail a natural for digging for Habitat and oaks intertwined with the Davis Mountains State Park has successfully marketed subterranean foods like tubers Aside from abundant cover bunchgrasses along gentle to and bulbs. provided by perennial grasses, steep slopes typify Montezuma Montezuma quail sightings by providing several viewing Montezuma quail require quail habitat. sex ratios, movements, subterranean foods. Unlike areas that are frequented by vocalizations, dispersal their seed-eating cousins, Classification this elusive bird. strategies and reproductive the diet of Montezuma quail All quail species in Texas Montezuma quail have many seasons. We are currently in favors bulbs, tubers, rhizomes are classified as game other peculiar features that our third year of an extensive and other subterranean roots. birds. However, Montezuma make them unique compared radio telemetry study that will All gallinaceous (chicken- quail have a closed season. to Texas’ other quail, including help unravel the mysteries of like) birds scratch to reveal Montezuma quail have not covey size and composition, Texas’ Montezuma quail.

Texas-Wildlife.org Texas Wildlife | November 2010 | 27