Some biologists and sportsmen attributed the.low numbers of valley 
quail to poisoning by bait distributed to control ground squirrels. Loss- 
es appeared greatest during the nesting period, and the abundance of ground 
squirrels on this 3,600-acre expérimental range, together with past obsér- 
vations upon ground squirrel-quail relationships, led to studies as to 
causes of nest destruction. In seeking to correct the depletion in number 
of birds, numerous remediés were tried. Drives by sportsmen's organiza- 
tions to reduce the abundance of crows, blue jays, hawks, bobcats, and all 
sugepected predators became popular: — 
This leaflet is based upon information gathered in the cooperative 
study undertaken at ‘the San Joaquin Experimental Range and other studies 
conducted in California. The cooperative project headquarters is near 
O'Neals, Madera County, where the resident biologist for the regional of- 
fice of the Forest Service, Ben Glading, is stationed. 
HABITAT 
The valley quail of California (Lophortyx californica vallicola) 
and the closely related California quail (L. Ge californica) are consid- 
ered the most important and finest native upland game. game ‘pirds of California. 
The species is widely distributed throughout the State. The California 
quail is found in the narrow, humid coast belt from the Oregon line south 
to Monterey County, while the valley quail is generally distributed, join- 
ing the California quail along the coast belt and extending in the western 
part One clans range from the Oregon line south to Cape San Lucas, Baja Cal- 
ifornia. The valley quail extends to the desert east of the southern Cal- 
ifornia coastal region. Hastward it reaches extreme western Nevada and in 
that part of its range occurs from Modoc County in northeastern California 
south along the east side of the Sierra Nevadas to Owens Valley and in the 
desert ranges toward Death Valley. It extends up into the east and west 
foothills of the Sierra Nevadas but is replaced by the somewhat larger 
mountain quail (Oreortyx picta palmeri) in the middle altitudes. 
The valley quail has been transplanted into other parts of the world 
and in Oregon and Washington is so well established as to appear native. 
It demonstrates its adeptability by its wide distribution throughout four 
of the six major ecological subdivisions of highly diversified California. 
‘Greatly varied habitats and widely dissimilar climatic conditions, from 
subtropical to subalpine, are successfully inhabited. Its metropolis is 
in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys andthe foothills on either side. 
Here snow is rare, and wide differences occur in the vegetation available 
as food. The original vegetation over much of its range has been replaced 
by exotic annuals of high forage value. 
FACTORS CAUSING DEPLETION 
Hunting Pressure 
When it is hunted, the actions of the California valley quail dif- 
fer markedly from those of other quail. Unlike the bobwhite, it does not 
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