Scaled quail inhabit dry, open valleys, plains, foothills, rocky slopes, draws, gullies, and canyons that have a mixture of bare ground, low herbaceous growth, and scattered brushy cover. Good scaled quail habitat is characterized by low-growing grasses with forbs and shrubs. Overall ground cover is between 10 and 50%. Trees and shrubs should be less than tall. Scaled quail avoid the dense growth associated with streamsides. Transmitter-fitted scaled quail had individual home range sizes of . An absolute requirement by scaled quail for a source of open water has not been established; there is some debate in the literature whether there is such a requirement. Scaled quail have been reported as inhabiting an area from the nearest water in Arizona. In New Mexico, it was not unusual to find Scaled Quail from water. Wallmo  observed winter coveys from water in Big Bend National Park in southwestern Texas. In Arizona, scaled quail summer habitat is seldom within of water. Scaled quail were observed drinking at stock tanks from April to June (which was a dry period during the course of the study) every 2 to 3 days. In Oklahoma, scaled quail often migrate to farms and ranches in winter and are thus closer to a source of water in winter than in summer. DeGraaf and others reported that in winter, scaled quail are usually found within of a source of water. Feeding cover: scaled quail use grass clumps and shrubs for cover while feeding. In one study they were frequently seen crossing of bare ground. When disturbed, scaled quail hid in snakeweed ("Gutierrezia" spp.) or in grass clumps. In June and July foraging occurs on open grasslands which are not used at other times. Loafing cover: scaled quail coveys occupy loafing or resting cover after early morning feeding periods. Scaled quail occupy desert grassland or desert scrub with a minimum of one loafing covert per approximately . In northwestern Texas, loafing coverts were characterized by: (1) overhead woody cover, (2) lateral screening cover, (3) a central area with bare soil, and (4) one or more paths through the lateral cover. Covert heights ranged from high and in diameter. Cholla formed all or part of the overhead cover of 85% of coverts, even though they were dominant at only 12% of the study locations. In areas where scaled quail occur without cholla, woody species such as wolfberry ("Lycium" spp.) and mesquite are important for overhead cover.