TUCSON, Ariz. — It's a cuteness overload at Tucson Wildlife Center, where staff members say their nursery is now overflowing with baby Gambel’s quail chicks.
In a recent Facebook post, the wildlife rehabilitation center said it is currently caring for nearly 200 quail chicks, with around 20 new intakes arriving every day. Some are brought in alone, while others arrive in small groups after becoming separated from their families.
Wildlife experts say Gambel’s quail are highly independent from the moment they hatch. Unlike many birds that remain in nests for weeks, quail chicks are able to walk, run, and follow their parents within hours of hatching. Families travel together in groups called broods as they move through the desert
TWC says one challenge with quail is once chicks are removed from their family it is difficult to reunite them. "For that reason, giving them space from the start is one of the most important ways to help. Watching from a distance and allowing a little time for the parents to return often gives these chicks their best chance to stay with their family. Approaching too quickly can cause the adults to flee and unintentionally leave the chicks behind," according to TWC experts.
Inside the center’s Baby Bird and Small Mammal Wing, caregivers are working to recreate natural conditions for the chicks by using heat support and even feather dusters to mimic the feeling of being tucked beneath a parent bird. Because quail are naturally social animals, the chicks are raised together in groups so they can learn normal flock behavior before eventually being released back into the wild.
The center says updates on future releases are expected later this season.
