Elvis?

(California Quail)

Because I grew up in the midwest, “Quail” for me always elicits memories of the evening bird that sings its own name, “Bob—White,” with a rising tone. But on the west coast, this bird is a wholly different deal.

To start, the California Quail's call is complicated but very distinct—another sound that you can’t forget once you identify it. But it’s their silly topknot that really stands out and makes you chuckle every time you see it. So what’s that all about?

There is a fish called the Angler Fish that also has a protuberance from its forehead. It floats patiently waving and bobbing the thing around until an unwary quarry comes to investigate, perhaps thinking it's found its own tantalizing dinner. Instead, the stealthy Angler suddenly opens its enormous maw and swallows the unlucky to-be diner. Could that be the purpose of the bobbing forehead feathers on the CQ? Hmmm. When I look at the Quail's tiny beak, I sincerely doubt it.

In my mind, those alluring plumes suggest the famous curl that so fascinated fans of Elvis Presley. It made all the young girls swoon, and both boys and girls spent hours and yards of Scotch Tape trying to train their locks to do similar things accordingly. Does the topknot cry out:  “Love me tender, love me true”?

Whether female California Quail are partial to those crests is not clear in the literature. But it is true that males displaying longer crests disproportionately win out over male competitors.