Female Quail’s Plume

Here’s today’s trivia: how many feathers are in a quail’s plume? Apparently there are six feathers on top of the quail’s head. The female feathers are shorter than the male’s. The pictured female and her family live part-time in our front yard. I say part-time because they are constantly crossing the street. The plume’s purpose is to attract a mate; i.e., the larger the plume, the greater the attraction—there have been studies on this. Frankly, they look about the same size to me. But maybe a quarter-inch carries weight in these parts. Well, it’s almost sunrise and the quails will be sounding their alerts soon.