Fresh sand to dust-bathe in

• Kingdom: Animalia 
• Phylum: Chordata 
• Class: Aves 
• Order: Galliformes 
• Family: Odontophoridae
• Genus: Colinus 
• Species: Colinus virginianus
• Subspecies: Colinus virginianus ridgwayi

Sonoran Desert and semi desert regions.

Found on the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, located in Sonoran Desert of southern North America near the U.S.-Mexico border region. Wild populations have not been observed since 2007.

In the wild: 8 to 12 months
In human care: Up to 5 years

In the wild: Seeds, nuts, fruits, berries, insects, and larvae.
At the Zoo: Mazuri® Gamebird Diet, greens, insects, fruit and vegetables.

Check out our critically endangered masked bobwhites on the back side of the Rainforest building, located next to the chicken habitat. These five little birds may not be flashy, but their story shines a bright light on the ripple effects of habitat change—and the hope that conservation efforts can still inspire!

Small, secretive, and critically endangered, the Masked Bobwhite Quail is one of the rarest birds in North America—and you're lucky enough to meet five of them right here at the Zoo! Our flock includes both males and females, representing a variety of ages, just like you’d see in a wild covey.

You can find them on the back side of the Rainforest building, next to the chicken habitat—often taking a dust bath in their favorite enrichment: fresh sand!

What Makes a Bobwhite Masked?

This special subspecies of the northern bobwhite is uniquely adapted to the Sonoran Desert, a dry and demanding region along the U.S.–Mexico border. Once widespread in southern Arizona and Mexico, wild masked bobwhites now only survive on a single wildlife refuge.

• Males have striking black “masks" and a warm chestnut-colored breast.
• Females wear softer, speckled tones for better camouflage.

Masked bobwhites live in social groups called coveys, foraging together and sticking close to dense, low vegetation that offers both cover and food.

Breeding in the Desert: It's All About the Rain

Masked bobwhites don’t follow a strict breeding calendar. Instead, they wait for moisture, which is rare in their native range. Nesting is most successful at the start of spring and during the summer monsoon season.

During these brief windows of abundance, pairs break away from their covey to nest and raise young. Each pair typically produces a brood of around 11 chicks, and both parents help incubate and care for the young—a rare trait among ground-dwelling birds!

Chicks are precocial, meaning they can walk and find food shortly after hatching—but they’re born with only soft down feathers and can't regulate their body temperature. That means they must stay close to their parents until their adult feathers come in.

It takes about five weeks before the young are ready to rejoin the covey, making family cooperation a big part of this species' survival.

Masked Bobwhite Fast Facts

• Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge: Once found in southern Arizona and Mexico—now only on one refuge.
• Size: Tiny! Just 5–6 inches tall.
• Covey: Live in coveys with both males and females.
• Sexual Dimorphism: Males have bold black “masks,” females are speckled for camouflage.
• Clutch Size: Average brood size: 11 chicks.
• Parental Care: Both parents incubate and raise their young.
• Critically Endangered: No wild sightings outside refuge since 2007.