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Definition of california quail

california quail

Plural:California quails
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california quail Lexical Profile

• noun

1

North American A small, highly sociable, ground-dwelling game bird native to the western United States and Baja California, distinguished by a curving, teardrop-shaped head plume and a heavily scaled belly pattern.

Example

"While hiking through the coastal chaparral, we spotted a covey of California quail scurrying quickly into the brush."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for california quail

• Nearby Words

calibrachoa
california king snake
california poppy
california quail
california sea lion
caliper
calla lily

Word Origin & Etymology

Named for the US state of California, where it is native and currently designated as the official state bird, combined with 'quail' (from Old French 'quaille').

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of California quail. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 15, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/california quail
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