Introduction to Quail Birds & Species

 

 

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A Pair of Japanese quail birds
Japanese Breeding pair

 

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Quail birds 6 weeks old
Adult Japanese

 

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5 week old italian quail birds
Manchurian Quail

 

 

For the serious bird explorer to find the quail breeds and more

Quail belong to the Phasianidae family of Galliformes (game birds & fowl) , also within the phasianidae family are Pheasants and Partridges.

Within the quail group species are thirteen Sub-groupings, each of these sub-groupings have one or more representative species as follows;

Dendrortyx

Barbatus - Bearded Tree Quail, Bearded Wood Partridge, Buffy-crowned Tree Quail, Buffy-crowned Wood Partridge

Leucophrys - Buffy-crowned Tree Quail, Buffy-crowned Wood Partridge

Macroura - Long-tailed Tree Quail, Long-tailed Wood Partridge

Oreortyx

Pictus - Mountain Quail

Philortyx

Fasciatus - Barred quail, Banded Quail, Mexican Barred Partridge

Callipepla

Gambelii - Gambles Quail, Arizona Quail, Desert Quail

Squamata - scaled quail, Blue quail, Cotton Top Quail,

Douglasii - Elegant Quail, Yaqui Quail

Californica - Californian Quail

Colinus

Cristatus - Crested Bobwhite Quail

Virginianus - Bobwhite Quail, Common Bobwhite Quail

Nigrogularis - Black-throated Bobwhite quail

Odontophorus

Gujanensis - Marbled Wood Quail

Capueira - Spot winged Wood quail, Capueira Wood quail

Leucolaemus - Black-breasted Wood Quail, White-throated Wood Quail

Balliviani - Stripe-faced Wood Quail, Ballivian's Partridge

Melanonotus - Dark-backed Wood Quail, Black-backed Partridge

Hyperythrus - Chestnut Wood Quail, Chestnut-throated Partridge

Erythrops - Rufous-fronted wood Quail, Rufous-breasted Wood Quail

Atrifrons - Black fronted Wood Quail

Dialeucos - Tacarcuna wood quail,

Columbianus - Venezuelan Wood Quail

Speciosus - Rufous-breasted Wood Quail, Rufous fronted wood quail

Strophium - Gorgeted Wood Quail, Gorgeted Partridge

Stellatus - Starred Wood Quail, Starred Partridge

Guttatus - Spotted Wood Quail

Dactylortyx

Thoracicus - Singing Quail, Long-toed Quail

Rhynchortyx

Cinctus - Tawney-faced Quail, Banded Quail

Cyrtonyx

Montezumae - Montezuma Quail, Mearns Quail, Harlequin Quail

Ocellatus - Ocellated Quail

Coturnix

Chinensis - Chinese Painted Quail, Blue Quail, Blue-breasted Quail, King quail

Coturnix - European Migratory Quail, Common Quail, Egyptian quail, Pharoah Quail

Japonica - Japanese Quail, Asian Migratory Quail, Red-throated Quail, Manchurian Golden Quail

Coromandelica - Rain Quail, Black-breasted Quail

Pectoralis - Pectoral Quail, Stubble Quail, Grey Quail

Novaezeelandiae - New Zealand Quail

Delegorguei - Harlequin Quail, African Harlequin Quail

Ypsilophorus - Brown Quail, Swamp Quail

Ophrysia

Superciliosa - Indian Mountain Quail

Anurophasis

Monoorthorthoryx - Snow Mountain Quail, New Guinea Alpine Quail

Perdicula

Erythrorhyncha - Painted Bush Quail

Asiatica - Jungle Bush quail

Manipurensis - ManipurBush Quail

Argoondah - Rock Bush Quail, Red Bush quail



The Coturnix name apparently imitates the call of the male,"ko-turr-neex". Wild European coturnix or common quail as they are sometimes called, are widley distributed in Europe Africa and Asia. They are classified, Coturnix coturnix and include several insular subspecies of which one is found in the Azores and another on the island of Madeira. Japanese quail, Coturnix Japonica, from which our domestic quail have been developed are sometimes considered to be a different species, but are in fact identical to European quail.



Japanese & Manchurian Coturnix quail are hardy birds and are inexpensive to keep, they mature in about 6 weeks and are usually in full egg production by 50 days of age. With good management, hens should lay 200 eggs in their first year of lay, life expectancy is 2-4 years