Six kinds of quail live in the United States, and each one favors different country.
Northern bobwhite
The classic quail of the East, South and Midwest, known for its whistled name. Bobwhite numbers have fallen sharply as grassland and brushy farm habitat has disappeared.
Western quail
Gambel’s quail live in the desert Southwest, with the highest densities in Arizona. Scaled quail live on the southern Plains and desert grasslands. California and mountain quail live in the West, and Mearns’ quail live in oak grasslands of the Southwest.
Long-term trends
Breeding Bird Survey data from 1966 to 1991 showed bobwhite and scaled quail declining, with scaled quail dropping about 3.8 percent a year, while California, Gambel’s and mountain quail were stable over the long term.