Quail Bird, Eggs, Babys, Food, California, Blue & Bobwhite

Quail Bird look like sparrows & with compact, stocky bodies and long, pointed wings, they have a characteristic body shape. They are small, short-tailed birds. To know how they look, where they live, and what they eat read below. These small birds are related to pheasants and sparrows. Scientific Name of Bird Coturnix coturnix. There are about 20 different species of quail around the globe, and 70 of them are reared as poultry in home settings. 

Quail Bird’s Characteristics

• Scaled Quail was first used to keep songbirds before being tamed in Japan around 1100.
• They were imported to Europe in the 1950s and are currently raised for their meat and eggs.
• The smallest domesticated bird can grow to weight as little as 100g.
• Arizona quail is mainly found in the wide countryside of eastern Arizona, and like other quails, it prefers to run rather than hold.
• Size: The fully grown is about 6-7 inches. 
• Wingspan: It has a wingspan of 30cm to 37cm i.e. around 12-14 inches. 

Behavior 

• Males yell loudly to establish territory during the breeding season. Male postures with wings drooped, tail stretched, head bobbed, and may rush at female during courtship.
• The first feeding phase starts at first light and lasts for several hours, while the second starts in the middle of the day and lasts till roosting.  

Quail lifespan

• As long as the lifespan of a  Quail is considered, it all depends on the type of species and place. Common quails have an average lifespan of 1 year. But some quail species live for 4 – 6 years. Generally, quails live much more in captivity.

Color

They are either Blue, Black or brown with White. Streaks, however, bellies range in color from Light Yellow to blueish grey.

Blue Quail 

• Blue Quails can easily be identified by their dark blue color. Females can be distinguished by a little brownish color.
• These birds are native to the United States and Central Mexico. Their average length lies between 10 to 12 inches. 

White Quail 

• White Quail, mostly popular for its unique pure white color, is also known as Northern Bobwhite.
• They are considered to be the least aggressive in the whole quail family. They weigh around 120 to 150 grams. 

Quail Food & Diet

• As omnivores, they will consume both plant-based foods like seeds and leafy green foliage as well as animal-based foods like insects.
• It will consume cacti fruits and berries when they are present. However, they also love to eat insects. 

Habitat & Range

• California and the Pacific Northwest have foothill forests, sagebrush plains, oak-dominated woodlands, and chaparral.
• Semi-arid and brush scrubland environments in the southwest United States and Mexico are among their preferred habitats.
• They tolerate people and are typically found in urban parks, gardens, and agricultural settings.
• They spend their entire lives within a home range of roughly 40 acres, necessitating the proximity of all habitat elements (nesting cover, brood habitat, covey headquarters, and food plots).

Quail Nest 

• To provide cover, the nest is typically a small depression lined with twigs and grasses and frequently set up next to foliage or rocks.
• Nests are typically between one and seven inches across and deep.

Quail Call

• Quails are most sound during January and mating season. They make three sound calls which can be heard as ‘chi-ca-go’. Males make louder calls whereas females have high pitched calls. Some species of qualis were recorded whistling too. 

Quail Fly

• Although they are birds, their flight abilities are not as advanced as those of other Birds. The speed of most quail is 30 to 40 mph.
• They can, however, fly at treetop level for up to a hundred yards, which is sufficient to avoid the majority of predators.

Reproduction

• Quails gather in coveys from September to April.
• The birds start their nest-building and egg-laying processes in April, May, and June as the mating season approaches.
• There are typically 10 to 16 eggs in a clutch, however, certain species have been known to produce up to 28 tiny, speckled eggs. In 21 to 23 days, the eggs will hatch.

Quail Eggs

• It produces at least 300 eggs annually.
• Quail eggs, a little adorable substitute for chicken eggs are quickly gaining popularity in cuisine.
• They are little, usually just one-third the size of a regular chicken egg, but they taste astonishingly similar to chicken eggs.
• They have rich yellow yolks and cream-colored shells with brown specks.

Population 

• The International Union for the Conservation of Nature rates the conservation status of quail as being of least concern because there are 130 different species of quail worldwide. About 70 of the species have been tamed.
• However, because their population had decreased to under 100, California quail was listed as an endangered species in the 1990s.
• Quail is no longer thought to be at risk of going extinct because of the recovery in their population.

Bobwhite Quail

• Small and sturdy, bobwhites are birds.
• Quail weight close to a quarter pound and is about eight or nine inches long.
• Their feathers have a prominent pattern of brown, black, and white in different tones.
• The white faces of male bobwhites have a c-shaped “mask” around their eyes and necks. 

California Quail

• California quail have a tiny head and bill and are plump, short-necked hunting birds.
• On short, extremely broad wings, they fly. The tail is square and reasonably long.
• Males have a longer top knot of feathers than females, which projects forward from the forehead in the shape of a comma.

Japanese Quail

• Also known as ‘Coturnix Quail’, this bird has brown color with black stripes all over its body. Males are generally smaller in size than females.
• They weight between 100 to 120 grams and have a length of up to 8 inches. 

Mountain Quail

• Mountain Quails are rare among the quails. They are extremely popular for their attractive head plumage.
• Mountain Quails are medium-sized birds having short tails and short legs with circular wings. They have a mixed color pattern of grey, brown, and red.

Quail For Sale

• Quails, also known as ‘Common Quails‘, are ordinary birds which makes them one of the cheapest birds to buy. They are available at a price as low as $2 to $5.
• Quails can be a little expensive depending on different geographical regions. There is literally no license or registration needed to own them.

Quail Bird Facts

• A few Quail Facts wild quails are negatively impacted by habitat degradation and unregulated shooting.
• Gamble’s is a well-liked game bird, but since there are many of them, neither serious conservation efforts nor severe shooting restrictions exist for this species.
• Many small mammals, such as raccoons, foxes, squirrels, coyotes, bobcats, skunks, dogs, and cats, like eating them. Rats, weasels, hawks, and owls will also go after quail eggs.
• The Southern Bobwhite is the most notable, as it has suffered from urban sprawl and the elimination of its preferred habitats.

Reference Link:

• https://www.tn.gov/twra/hunting/quail-in-tennessee.html

Quail Bird -FAQ’s