
Bizarrely beautiful may best describe the surprisingly camouflaged plumage of a male Montezuma Quail. A complete loss of current winter range looks potentially disastrous for a non-migratory species, but perhaps 85 percent of Montezuma Quail live in Mexico. Its U.S. summer range is projected to be largely secure and experience a potentially significant increase. These quail live in the thick, grassy understory of oak woodlands, a habitat maintained by frequent low-intensity fire and easily disturbed by overgrazing. If the oak forests can persist—something alluded to by the stable summer climate—and we can maintain adequate management practices for the understory, this species may continue to inhabit much of its current range.
70% of summer 2000 range is stable
900% increase in summer 2080 from 2000 range
0% of winter 2000 range is stable
26% decrease in winter 2080 from 2000 range
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