WhenToBird

Callipepla californica · Odontophoridae

When Do California Quails Arrive in Washington?

Adult California Quail
Photo: znot, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

California Quails are in Washington all year, but most are here in spring: numbers build from mid April, peak in late May (9.6% of checklists), and fall back by early July. In the quietest week (early February) they are still on about 2.9% of checklists.

When to look

Numbers buildApr 15-21mid April
PeakMay 22-31late May
Fall back byJul 1-7early July
FewestFeb 1-7early February

Best: late May. Here all year; numbers build from mid April and fall back by early July. Peak: on about 9.6% of Washington checklists.

  1. Januncommon
  2. Febuncommon
  3. Marcommon
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Junpeak season
  7. Julcommon
  8. Augcommon
  9. Sepcommon
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novcommon
  12. Decuncommon

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

0%5%10%Jan 1-7: 3.3% of 41928 checklistsJan 8-14: 3.2% of 31152 checklistsJan 15-21: 3.1% of 31753 checklistsJan 22-31: 2.9% of 42530 checklistsFeb 1-7: 2.8% of 29739 checklistsFeb 8-14: 3.0% of 32746 checklistsFeb 15-21: 3.0% of 40328 checklistsFeb 22-28: 3.5% of 28432 checklistsMar 1-7: 3.2% of 30758 checklistsMar 8-14: 3.6% of 29368 checklistsMar 15-21: 4.1% of 32580 checklistsMar 22-31: 4.7% of 45614 checklistsApr 1-7: 5.3% of 33997 checklistsApr 8-14: 6.2% of 34729 checklistsApr 15-21: 6.7% of 38474 checklistsApr 22-30: 7.7% of 52185 checklistsMay 1-7: 8.2% of 44236 checklistsMay 8-14: 9.2% of 48708 checklistsMay 15-21: 9.5% of 41742 checklistsMay 22-31: 9.7% of 57082 checklistsJun 1-7: 9.6% of 39193 checklistsJun 8-14: 8.4% of 36042 checklistsJun 15-21: 7.4% of 34003 checklistsJun 22-30: 7.0% of 39711 checklistsJul 1-7: 6.1% of 31949 checklistsJul 8-14: 5.6% of 29086 checklistsJul 15-21: 5.0% of 28045 checklistsJul 22-31: 5.0% of 38275 checklistsAug 1-7: 4.8% of 28846 checklistsAug 8-14: 4.8% of 28036 checklistsAug 15-21: 4.7% of 27614 checklistsAug 22-31: 5.5% of 40356 checklistsSep 1-7: 5.7% of 31214 checklistsSep 8-14: 5.6% of 27795 checklistsSep 15-21: 5.5% of 29677 checklistsSep 22-30: 5.1% of 35241 checklistsOct 1-7: 4.8% of 28605 checklistsOct 8-14: 4.4% of 28655 checklistsOct 15-21: 4.3% of 24643 checklistsOct 22-31: 4.0% of 34874 checklistsNov 1-7: 3.8% of 25658 checklistsNov 8-14: 3.7% of 25700 checklistsNov 15-21: 3.8% of 24331 checklistsNov 22-30: 3.4% of 32784 checklistsDec 1-7: 3.2% of 24099 checklistsDec 8-14: 3.5% of 23339 checklistsDec 15-21: 3.7% of 27666 checklistsDec 22-31: 3.5% of 42130 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Washington that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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Where in Washington

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Douglas CountyBest the second week of September · 106 checklists that week, 9,418 in all45%
  2. Walla Walla CountyBest early June · 991 checklists that week, 35,829 in all42%
  3. Grant CountyBest the second week of May · 1143 checklists that week, 19,963 in all41%
  4. Whitman CountyBest early June · 415 checklists that week, 18,652 in all40%
  5. Benton CountyBest early September · 360 checklists that week, 23,565 in all39%
  6. Spokane CountyBest late May · 1741 checklists that week, 43,379 in all39%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Cowiche Canyon ConservancyYakima County, best mid April · 21 checklists that week, 117 in all97%
  2. Grandview/Patrick ParkGrant County, best the second week of May · 21 checklists that week, 226 in all96%
  3. W E Johnson ParkBenton County, best late July · 27 checklists that week, 1,031 in all95%
  4. Bassett ParkAdams County, best early June · 25 checklists that week, 556 in all92%
  5. Mcnary National Wildlife RefugeWalla Walla County, best the second week of June · 35 checklists that week, 2,162 in all88%

Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.

Best time of day

In Washington, the California Quail is most often listed on checklists started between 6 and 8 am (9.4% of those checklists).

0%5%10%15%12 am: too few checklists (796) to judge1 am: too few checklists (776) to judge2 am: too few checklists (709) to judge3 am: too few checklists (901) to judge4 am: too few checklists (3221) to judge5 am: too few checklists (16576) to judge6 am: 12% of 56744 checklists7 am: 8.1% of 133294 checklists8 am: 6.8% of 184196 checklists9 am: 5.0% of 186303 checklists10 am: 4.0% of 177063 checklists11 am: 3.6% of 154936 checklists12 pm: 3.9% of 138061 checklists1 pm: 3.6% of 127449 checklists2 pm: 3.7% of 121511 checklists3 pm: 4.0% of 107793 checklists4 pm: 4.8% of 82862 checklists5 pm: 6.1% of 57183 checklists6 pm: 7.8% of 39886 checklists7 pm: too few checklists (26969) to judge8 pm: too few checklists (12427) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (3658) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (1500) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (834) to judge12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.
Week-by-week table
MonthDays 1-78-1415-2122-end
January3.3%3.2%3.1%2.9%
February2.8%3.0%3.0%3.5%
March3.2%3.6%4.1%4.7%
April5.3%6.2%6.7%7.7%
May8.2%9.2%9.5%9.7%
June9.6%8.4%7.4%7.0%
July6.1%5.6%5.0%5.0%
August4.8%4.8%4.7%5.5%
September5.7%5.6%5.5%5.1%
October4.8%4.4%4.3%4.0%
November3.8%3.7%3.8%3.4%
December3.2%3.5%3.7%3.5%

Neighboring states

  • Oregon: arrives late April, 1 week later than Washington
  • Idaho: year-round, peaks the second week of May
  • Montana: arrives late September, 21 weeks later than Washington
  • Nevada: year-round, peaks the second week of May

Common questions

When do California Quails arrive in Washington?
California Quails are in Washington all year, but most are here in spring: numbers build from mid April, peak in late May (9.6% of checklists), and fall back by early July. In the quietest week (early February) they are still on about 2.9% of checklists.
When do California Quails leave Washington?
California Quails never fully leave Washington: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by early July, but some are still reported in every week, about 2.9% of checklists at the low.
When is the best time to see a California Quail in Washington?
The California Quail is reported most often in late May, on about 9.6% of Washington checklists.
Where in Washington are California Quails seen most often?
By county, Douglas County, Walla Walla County, and Grant County have the highest peak reporting rates for the California Quail (counties with at least 200 checklists).