As a distinctly colored and marked quail, masked bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus ridgwayi) are easily identified by their rich cinnamon tinted breast and the dark black head and throat. Males may have a distinct superciliary stripe and have mottled crowns of black and white that tend to darken with age. The back feathers show hues of browns, buff, rufous and black similar to other races of bobwhite quail. Females show less distinctive markings such as a buffy head and throat with a distinct white superciliary stripe. The earliest recorded sighting of masked bobwhite quail dates back to 1884, as documented by F. Stephens in 1885. However, H. Brown noted that by 1904, masked bobwhites were considered one of the rarest birds in Arizona.

Currently, the masked bobwhites range encompasses a small portion of the United States - Mexico border region in extreme south-central Arizona and northern Sonora. Historically, this species occupied level plains and river valleys that exhibited grassy savannah habitat with elevations ranging from 150 to 1,200 meters. Such locations included the Altar and Santa Cruz valleys in Arizona and Shreves’ Plain of Sonora, Mexico. Much of the decline in masked bobwhite quail populations is attributed to its limited range and the reduction of habitat within that narrow distribution, as documented in the 2021 implementation plan.

It is generally accepted that ranching and grazing expansion in the early 1900s led to the destruction of native grassland across the range of the masked bobwhite quail, and by 1950, it was nearly extinct in the wild. Unsuccessful attempts at reintroduction occurred in 1964 and the masked bobwhite quail was one of the original species listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Conservation Act, and later the Endangered Species Act in 1973. Experimental releases of masked bobwhite quail near the Mexican border resulted in a naturally reproducing population in 1977, but drought and declining habitat quality reduced this population to a few birds by 1983, as documented in the 1995 recovery plan. In 1985, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service purchased the Buenos Aires Ranch, which was established in 1864 by Pedro Aguirre Jr., explicitly for the recovery of the masked bobwhite quail. B. Leavengood noted in 2006, that at the time, this location was the last place in the Unites States containing suitable habitat for the species. Since 1985, Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge has continued efforts to reestablish masked bobwhite quail on the refuge through releases of captive bred chicks that are fostered by vasectomized Texas bobwhite (Colinus virginianus texanus) males. Other conservation measures include livestock removal and habitat improvement. In 1990, S.J. Dobrott noted that population estimates of masked bobwhite quail on Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge ranged from 300 to 500 individuals. Current estimates of masked bobwhite quail suggest approximately 200 individuals occur on the refuge.