California Quail 20120915_3560, The feathers on the head ar…

The feathers on the head are molting and regrowing for the next season.

The California Quail's head plume, or - Audubon California

California Quail - raincoastphoto

California Quail's head plume, or topknot, looks like a single feather, but it is actually a cluster of six overlapping feathers. : r/Awwducational

California Quail Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

California Quail - raincoastphoto

A California Quail couple sharing a fencepost. Love their floppy head feathers! : r/aww

birds of a feather Quail, Bird feathers, Birds

Gambel's quail - Wikipedia

California Quail - raincoastphoto

California Quail

Male Californian Quail Head Feathers Plume Stock Photo 790186657

California Quail Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The Feather Atlas - Feather Identification and Scans - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory

California Quail Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology