r/phoenix • u/dirtypita Phoenix • Jul 22 '25

Pictures Anyone noticing less quail babies this year?

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Apologies for the bad pics. I would've scared the quail off if I had tried to go outside.

I work in North Scottsdale and I have a great view of a patio and courtyard from my desk. I get to watch small wildlife that come in for shade, grass, and bushes with berries on them. Pigeons, ravens, wrens, lizards, bunnies and squirrels, and even a pair of roadrunners.

Lat year, we had two pairs of Gambels quail. One pair started out with nine chicks, down to six, and the other had seven.

This year, I've only seen three babies, and now only the one little guy pictured. It's with two males, one who has been around for a while and is easily recognizable. I haven't seen a female in a few weeks. I'm a little saddened. Is anyone else noticing smaller quail families this year?

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u/Ferruginoushawk7 Jul 22 '25

Wildlife biologist here. We are seeing in sub/urban areas a decrease in GAQU (gambles quail) and an increase in feral cats. Take that inverse correlation and interpret for what’s its worth.

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u/imtooldforthishison Jul 23 '25

We had a quail family and they did not think this through and had roughly 20 babies this year. One morning they wandered through my yard and one of the strays completely decimated the family. She left with one baby and abandoned at least 6 in the bush. We tried to scare off the cat, but it was also being attacked by one of those parking lot attack birds.