Timing of Major Life Events
In Arizona, pairing and maximum dispersal is complete by mid-June. Nesting probably does not begin until early July. In Oklahoma, egg laying usually starts in late April. Completed clutches have been found as early as May 8. Egg laying occurs from March to June in Texas and Mexico, and from April to September in New Mexico. Nests with eggs were reported as early as April 15 in New Mexico.
Scaled Quail lay from 9 to 16 eggs; most clutches are 12 to 14 eggs. Eggs are incubated by the female for 21 to 23 days. Double-brooding (the production of two consecutive broods in one season) is common. In west Texas, Wallmo observed the male rearing the first brood while the female began a second clutch. Sutton stated, however, that Scaled Quail in Oklahoma are probably single-brooded, but have hatched broods as late as September 6. Ehrlich and others also list Scaled Quail as single-brooded.
The precocial young leave the nest shortly after hatching. They are accompanied by at least one, usually both, parents, who show them how to find food. The young fledge rapidly (age at fledging not reported in the literature), and are adult size in 11 to 15 weeks.
Scaled Quail are fairly sedentary. The winter home ranges of Scaled Quail coveys varied from 24 to 84 acres (9.6–33.6 ha). The home ranges of separate coveys overlap only slightly or not at all. From September to November Scaled Quail coveys maintain stable territories. In Arizona, 75 to 90% of a population apparently moved off of a breeding area by mid-November, moving to nearby mountain foothills. The mountain habitat was consistent with that found on the breeding area. In March the population on the breeding area increased again, with most birds in groups of four to eight.
The average winter covey size for Scaled Quail is around 30 birds, although coveys of up to 150 birds have been reported.
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