The
California quail (
Callipepla californica), also known as the
California valley quail or
valley quail, is a small ground-dwelling bird in the
New World quail family. These birds have a curving crest or
plume, made of six feathers, that droops forward: black in males and brown in females; the flanks are brown with white streaks. Males have a dark brown cap and a black face with a brown back, a grey-blue chest and a light brown belly. Females and immature birds are mainly grey-brown with a light-colored belly. Their closest relative is
Gambel's quail which has a more southerly distribution and, a longer crest at , a brighter head and a scalier appearance. The two species separated about 1–2 million years ago, during the Late
Pliocene or Early
Pleistocene. It is the
state bird of
California.