Mountain Quail
Mountain QuailMountain QuailMountain QuailMountain Quail

Mountain Quail

Oreortyx pictus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
10–20% · With luck
overall probability at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
344 Verified records at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
May Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The mountain quail (Oreortyx pictus) is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. This species is the only one in the genus Oreortyx, which is sometimes included in Callipepla. This is not appropriate, however, as the mountain quail's ancestors diverged from other New World quails earlier than the bobwhites, no later than 6 mya. Wikipedia →

10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Mountain Quail sighting in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, based on 344 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

California Quail
LC Endemic

California Quail

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Callipepla californica

30–40% · Possible
Wild Turkey
LC Endemic

Wild Turkey

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Meleagris gallopavo

10–20% · With luck
Sooty Grouse
LC

Sooty Grouse

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dendragapus fuliginosus

5–10% · With luck
Chukar
LC

Chukar

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Alectoris chukar

<5% · Rare
White-tailed Ptarmigan
LC Endemic

White-tailed Ptarmigan

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lagopus leucura

Insufficient data
Common Peafowl
LC

Common Peafowl

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pavo cristatus

Insufficient data
Ring-necked Pheasant
LC Endemic

Ring-necked Pheasant

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phasianus colchicus

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
<5
Feb
<5
Mar
10–20
Apr
20–30
May
10–20
Jun
5–10
Jul
10–20
Aug
5–10
Sep
5–10
Oct
<5
Nov
5–10
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
2 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
3 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
7 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Mountain Quail in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks?

About 12% of wildlife watchers report a Mountain Quail sighting in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, based on 344 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Mountain Quail in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks?

May has the highest sighting rate for Mountain Quail in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in our monthly data.

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