Don Balke: Gambel Quail

Artist: Don Balke
1932 -
Nationality: American
Artwork Year: 1999
Image Size: 12 by 11 inches
Overall Size: 12 by 13 inches
Medium: Water Color on Cold Press Illustration Board

The spectacular Gambel's Quail inhabits the desert regions of the American Southwest, ranging from northern Nevada to southern Colorado and as far south as northern Mexico. A denizen of cactus scrublands and stream-side woodlands, Gambels' Quail is a small land bird characterized by a distinctive black plume. The male is gray with chestnut-colored flanks and contrasting white stripes. Its head is also chestnut, but the face and throat are black. A large black patch on its pale belly is fairly conspicuous, making the bird easy to identify in the field. The female sports a smaller plume, is somewhat duller in color, and lacks the black throat and belly patch. When courting, the male struts around the female, bobbing its head to make its black plume dance. For the nest, the female scratches out a hollow in the soil beneath a desert shrub or cactus. After the chicks hatch, both parents tend to the young. It is not unusual to see a Gambel's Quail family, led by the male, bobbing along the desert terrain with the female following in the rear. These birds eat dry seeds from weeds and grasses, grasshoppers, ants and other insects, as well as fruits, berries, mesquite and other wild legumes. They're most active during the day when they forage for food. In the evening they move to an area near water, drinking their fill before roosting in nearby trees and desert shrubs.

This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood® First Day Cover of the U.S. 33¢ Gambel Quail stamp issued April 6, 1999.

Artwork Copyright © 1999 Unicover Corporation. All Rights Reserved under United States and international copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, transmit, or otherwise exploit the Artwork in any way. Images of the Artwork may be watermarked and/or digitally watermarked. Any sale of the physical original does not include or convey the Copyright or any right comprised in the copyright.

Our Stock Number (SKU): XB16351

US$ Price: $990.00

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