A quail family walks on a Penticton sidewalk in June.
Image Credit: YOUTUBE
June 12, 2025 - 7:00 PM
What appears to be two quail parents with a brood of busy chicks were caught going for a stroll on a Penticton city sidewalk on a sunny day in June.
Local videographer Courtney Robinson caught footage of the feathered family as the little ones hopped and pecked while the adults kept them corralled.
“The little quail family was grabbing breakfast under mom and dad’s watchful gaze, it was very sweet to watch,” Robinson said. “I love capturing and sharing special moments like these.”
California quail are round, distinctive looking birds with blue feathered coats and comical topknots on their heads. Native to the southwestern U.S. the birds were introduced as game birds to BC in the 19th century and are largely confined to the Okanagan.
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In the past several years, the there have been reports of quail sightings in the Shuswap and Kamloops.
The quail spend most of their time walking and scratching for food on the ground and typically travel in groups called coveys, according to All About Birds.
Coveys are known for erupting into the air all at once in a startling fashion, but their flight is only long enough to reach cover.
Robinson is a photographer and videographer living in Summerland who enjoys capturing wildlife footage and the breathtaking scenery of the Okanagan and beyond.
Go here to see more of Robinson’s work.
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