Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae), at Ash Canyon. They are not uncommon here, but still rarely seen. As much as I love the clownish faces of the males, I think the females (center photo) are more beautiful still, with a color pattern that makes them almost invisible as they move through the grasses.
At the Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary, Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory, Cochise County, Arizona.
Etymology note, from the Cornell lab: “Montezuma quail have long, sickle-shaped claws on each toe that are about half again the length of the foot. It uses these claws for digging up bulbs, tubers, and invertebrates. Montezuma quail’s genus, Cyrtonyx, comes from the Greek words for bent (kurtus) and claw (onux). Pits in the soil more than an inch deep are a sign that these birds are foraging in the area.”


















