Culture Art & Media Photo: California Quail in All of Its Splendor By Melissa Breyer Editorial Director Hunter College F.I.T., State University of New York Cornell University Melissa Breyer is Treehugger’s editorial director. She is a sustainability expert and author whose work has been published by the New York Times and National Geographic, among others. our editorial process Melissa Breyer Updated August 13, 2020 Mark Heatherington / Flickr Share Twitter Pinterest Email Culture History Travel Sustainable Fashion Art & Media Holidays Community Our photo of the day shines the spotlight on this beauty of a bird. We may flock to the beauty of exotic birds, the vibrant creatures from faraway climes. But are the birds in our own backyards any less spectacular? Case in point, the California quail (Callipepla californica), like the splendid one here photographed by Mark Heatherington. Mark notes: "I've read that the head plume is not one feather, but a cluster of six overlapping feathers. This is the first time I've been able to see this." Would you like to see your nature photo featured as the TreeHugger photo of the day? Join TreeHugger’s Reader Photo Pool on Flickr and add your pictures to the group.