Mountain Quail
Oreortyx pictus
Synopsis: Widespread in montane and foothill forests from the Cascades to the coast, and less extensive in similar habitat elsewhere. Has disappeared from many areas where historically present in eastern Oregon. Most notable are the records from northern and central Lake, Harney, and Malheur Counties.

Habitat Associations:
strongest
Shasta Red Fir-Mountain Hemlock Forest (54084 acres)
Jeffery Pine Forest/Woodland (53780 acres)
Douglas Fir-Port Orford Cedar Forest (166447 acres)
Douglas Fir-Mixed Deciduous Forest (2934 acres)
Douglas Fir-White Fir/Tanoak-Madrone Mixed Forest (1126272 acres)
Douglas Fir dominant - Mixed Conifer Forest (2321298 acres)
Red Alder (75370 acres)
Siskiyou Mtns Mixed Deciduous Forest (200392 acres)
South coast Mixed Forest (2888 acres)
Siskiyou Mtns Shrubland on Serpentine Bedrock (32403 acres)
Manzanita-dominant Shrubland (12211 acres)
Edges of Recently Cutover/Burnt Forest (1445075 acres)
strong
Conifer Woodland on Serpentine Bedrock (51874 acres)
Douglas Fir-W. Hemlock-W. Red Cedar Forest (6327448 acres)
Douglas Fir/White Oak Forest (175116 acres)
Ponderosa Pine Forest/Woodland (2067263 acres)
Ponderosa Pine/White Oak Forest & Woodland (161283 acres)
Ponderosa Pine-W. Juniper Woodland (53085 acres)
Mixed Conifer/Mixed Deciduous Forest (1105873 acres)
Northeast Canyon Grass & Shrubland (338329 acres)
some
W. Juniper Woodland (1644585 acres)
White Oak Forest (97980 acres)
Streamside/Wetland Shrubland (1266 acres)
lesser
Sitka Spruce-W. Hemlock Maritime Forest (169368 acres)
Mountain Hemlock Montane Forest (136016 acres)
True Fir-Hemlock Montane Forest (1261398 acres)
Ponderosa Pine-dominant Mixed Conifer Forest (61110 acres)
Northeast Mixed Conifer Forest (1621267 acres)
Lodgepole Pine Forest/Woodland (5106 acres)
Ponderosa-Lodgepole Pine on Pumice (96138 acres)
Sagebrush Steppe (984225 acres)
Bitterbrush-Big Sagebrush Shrubland (14582 acres)
Grassland & Fir-Ponderosa Interspersed (208338 acres)
Western Oregon Riverine Woodland (9766 acres)

Relative Detectability: Fairly secretive during much of the year. Confirmed most often by observations of fledglings traveling with adults. Has recently been the focus of research conducted at Oregon State University.

Challenge: Determine if species has disappeared totally from north coast and most of Deschutes and Crook Counties, as well as southern foothills of Wallowa Mountains.