California quail males and females have distinct appearances. Males have a black face with white stripes bordering it, a brown cap, a gray chest, and a scaled belly with a chestnut patch. Females are generally more brown overall, with a lighter, speckled chest and belly and a smaller crest. Both sexes share a distinctive, forward-curving black plume on their foreheads, but the male's is larger.

Male:
• Head: Brown cap, black face with white stripes, and a prominent, black, forward-curving plume.
• Chest: Gray or blue-gray.
• Belly: Scaled, with a chestnut patch.
• Sides: Brown with white streaks.

Female:
• Head: Brown, with a smaller, less prominent plume than the male.
• Chest and Belly: Lighter, speckled or scaled, and more subdued than the male's.
• Overall: More uniformly brown or gray-brown compared to the male.