Brett French reports: California quail spotted near Billings

As bird hunters tromp through the hills, valleys and fields of Montana this fall, they could run into an unusual sight. Billings Gazette photographer Larry Mayer shot photos of California quail north of the Magic City last month. Quail are not native to Montana, but the Bitterroot Valley has a strong population of nonnative transplants. No one knows where the birds came from. They may have escaped from a game farm or from a farmer raising exotic fowl. First recorded in 2001, the population has grown to around 750 birds near Stevensville and more than 200 near Hamilton. Likewise, no one is sure where the quail north of Billings came from. The males are easily identifiable by the black plume atop their head. Since they are nonnative, and not a game bird, hunters are allowed to shoot the birds. To learn more about these California transplants, check out my story at https://billingsgazette.com/outdoors/california-quail-billings-ebird-all-about-birds-christmas-bird-counts-bitterroot/article_69d1c2a8-62de-11ee-b1c3-2f39aa70917d.html.

Written by Brett French | Outdoors Editor of Billings Gazette Communications