[3] The Callipepla gambelii birds are easily recognized by their top knots and scaly plumage on their undersides.

Gambel's quail have bluish-gray plumage on much of their bodies, and males have copper feathers on the top of their heads, black faces, and white stripes above their eyes.

The two species are sister taxa which diverged during the Late Pliocene or Early Pleistocene, 1 to 2 mya.

In the late summer, fall, and winter, the adults and immature young congregate into coveys of many birds.

The female typically lays 10–12 eggs in a simple scrape concealed in vegetation, often at the base of a rock or tree.