Gambel's Quail have also been successfully introduced to Lanai and Hawaii in the Hawaiian Archipelago. Paul Johnsgard describes seven subspecies, all of which are similar and I don't believe that the subspecies are differentiated in captive populations. This species is often confused with the related Valley Quail . Males of both species share the black top-knot plume. Male Gambel's can be distinguished by having no scaling on the lower breast, but rather having a yellowish belly with a large black spot.
Females also have a top-knot, but it is much smaller in size.
Her overall coloration is similar to the male, but she lacks the black and white face, the black breast spot and the rust color on her is much lighter. The hen is also slightly smaller than the male. In the wild, Gambel's Quail form large groups or coveys. During the spring, these large flocks break up and the males begin to draw females to their chosen territory. Fights between rival males can become quite vicious while they try to draw mates into their territories.