Bird Illustrations

Ducks:

California Quail (Callipepla californica):

About the California Quail:
California quail are about eight inches long. Males have a distinctive black crest. They are the state bird of California. Wikipedia has a great description of something California quails do which is to take "dust baths" (see Wikipedia, California Quails).

Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata (having a spinal chord)
Class: Aves (birds)
Order: Galliformes (turkeys, grouse, chickens, quails, and pheasants)
Family: Odontophoridae (American quail)
Genus: Callipepla
Species: C. californica

More information about California Quails:
USGS, California Quail, Callipepla californica
Fish and Game New Zealand

California quail (Callipepla californica) fill this mixed media study, painted by Gina in 2007. Nine birds appear, standing, walking and two flying. Pale gray birds sit beside browner ones, and each carries the curled topknot that identifies the species. The quail is California's state bird.