Learn About The Quail

Meet the quail

Quails are known as one of 130 species of short-tailed birds that belong to the Phasianidae family . They are similar in shape to the partridge, but shorter and weaker than them. They are classified into Old World quails and New World quails, as the world contains The ancient world contains 95 species of quail, while the new world contains approximately 32 species of them. Quails are accustomed to living in open spaces, not closed ones. They lay 12 eggs in the spring, and their eggs and meat can be used for food.

Formal characteristics of quail

A ground bird that is rarely seen in its breeding places because it tends to stay in places of dense grass where it is difficult to see it. It has a small, stocky body, sturdy legs, and long pointed wings that give it a distinctive appearance. Its wings are distinguished by their rapid movement and sudden flight, but it does not last long and falls again, and the females are similar to With the males in terms of appearance, but the males are distinguished by their black feathers in the throat area, and both sexes have brown upper parts with dark brown markings, and they also have markings on the head that include a stripe on the eye and sometimes some feathers on the top of the head in the form of a crown, as well as It has white stripes on its upper parts and sides, while its lower parts are pale orange in color.

Quails have small, curved, full, black beaks. The length of quails ranges from 11 to 20 cm, while the span of their wings ranges from 32 to 35 cm. They weigh approximately 70 to 140 grams. Color, size, and length vary from one species to another depending on the environment. which he inhabits.

Habitat and diet of quail birds

Invertebrates, insects, and small larvae that live on the ground and in the soil are considered the favorite food of quails, in addition to plant seeds, some types of tree leaves, berries, and plant roots. Quails are considered carnivores, although 95% of their diet consists of Plant materials. They are terrestrial creatures that live most of their lives in the same place and rarely migrate. They prefer to live in forests, agricultural lands, and open spaces covered with shrubs such as grasslands. Quails are native to North America, but they can also be found throughout Europe, Australia, Asia, Africa, and South America.

Wild Japanese quail species live in Russia, East Asia and other parts of the African continent, and China contains 80 percent of the quail farms spread around the world.

Quail environment and behavior

Some species of quail are more active at night than during the day, and some are the opposite. To clean its feathers, the quail rubs itself in the dust as a form of bathing. It is one of the types of birds that prefer isolation, but they also spend their time in pairs, and a single group is called Among them is the name of a flock or herd; They live in flocks during the winter, and quails communicate with each other using high-pitched voices and harmonious murmurs, and if they are exposed to a threat, such as a human or some animal; Like cats, rats, dogs, and snakes, some of them run or fly short distances and tend to hide, while others freeze in place.

The life of quail birds

Quail birds begin to mate when they reach the age of two months, and lay from 1 to 12 eggs, with an average of 6 eggs in the spring, as the number of eggs varies from one type to another. Quail eggs have bright colors, and their young are called chicks, and these chicks come out to life after they hatch. They lay eggs in less than a month, and they are often well-strong and able to leave their nest and follow their parents immediately after hatching. These chicks are ready to mate only two months after they emerge from the egg, and quails live from 3 to 5 years in the wild.

Quail farms

Quails are also raised as poultry or commercial birds in some parts of the world because of their meat and eggs. The Japanese quail is considered the most common type on farms around the world. The quail is the smallest bird among the birds raised on farms, with an average mass of 100 grams. The European Union produces 100 One million quails from quail farms annually, and the number of domesticated quails on farms reaches 1.4 billion quails around the world annually. Quails begin laying eggs at approximately 7 weeks of age, and are slaughtered at 8 months of age. [