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Quail - Bobwhite

Alternative Name
Bobwhite Scientific Name: Colinus virginianus
Basic Info

At maturity, a Bobwhite Quail usually measures about ten inches in length. Predominantly, the Bobwhite Quail is a rusty brown color, although its underside may be lighter brown. Often there is gray coloration over the back of the quail. A male Bobwhite Quail has a white throat with a line above each eye. These white lines are striped back to the neck from the eye. Female Bobwhite Quails have the same patterns, but their throats are a light tan color, as are their eye lines.

Health

In order to preserve the Bobwhite Quail, a few preservation techniques have been suggested. One of these involves the leaving of small patches of grain along edge areas in the winter. Habitats may also be created for the Bobwhite Quail by planting woody undergrowth or bramble areas where the quail may shelter. Breeding The Mating season for Bobwhite Quail occurs in the spring and will often last into September. Generally, the males will perform mock combats in order to display for their mates. The male usually scrapes out a depression in old grass to use as the nest. Generally, the eggs require about 23 days to incubate. An average clutch contains about 14 eggs. Usually nesting occurs between June and September. Bobwhite Quail chicks are tiny- about the size of bumblebees! They rely on their parents for food and for warnings of danger. When the chicks are about five weeks old, they will begin to obtain food independently of the parents.

Habitat

N/A

Behavior

The Bobwhite Quail, unlike many animals, actually benefited from early settling of its range when settlers built protected fenced areas and fields of grain over the quail’s range! Before the mating season in begins, Bobwhite Quail live in coveys of about six birds. However, this number may fluctuate between ten and thirty birds. The coveys begin to break up around March as males compete with each other for the females. After the breeding season ends in the fall, coveys are reformed. Usually there is a social order in such coveys, and the Bobwhite Quail remain close together and tend to move and sleep as a single unit. When startled, however, the Bobwhite Quail scatter in all directions. Usually the covey spends the day in search of food, resting during the hottest hours of the day. Bobwhite Quail prefer to live in edge-lands, where one type of habitat meets another. Generally, this may be the border between a wooded area and a grassy expanse.

Origin

United States

History

Bobwhite Quail began to flourish with the early settling of the Americas, but the trend will not continue if humans continue to destroy the natural habitat of these birds! Their numbers are also often checked by harsh winter conditions. Bobwhite Quail are generally seen in the wild in the Midwest and Southern United States as well as parts of Mexico. As game birds, they were often trapped rather than hunted. Today, hunters with dogs usually hunt Bobwhite Quail. Enthusiasts, scientists, and photographers also love finding and observing these birds in their natural habitats. The Bobwhite Quail receives its name from the male’s mating call, which sounds like the syllables “Ah-bob-white”.

Common Foods

Bobwhite Quail feed on seeds, insects and vegetation. Their diet may include berries, corn, soybeans, grasses and clover, in addition to insects and seeds, which they obtain by scratching at the ground.

Quail - Common

Alternative Name
Coturnix, European Quail, Mediterranean Quail, Japanese Quail Scientific Name: Coturnix
Basic Info

The Common Quail has been bred in two size varieties. One is the size that is found in the wild, and the other is a larger variety that was developed for meat and larger eggs. Color varieties have also been developed. These include, Normal (the normal, wild coloring), Manchurian Gold (the black of the wild coloration is replaced by gold, the brown and red is replaced by cream), Tuxedo (Black with a white breast), English Black (Black), Barred (brown with black barring), and White (all white). The average domestic Common Quail measures about 17 centimeters in length, with males a bit smaller than females. Their bodies are round in shape and their legs and bills are rather weak. The tails are quite short. Generally, the Common Quail’s plumage is russet brown and males have an anchor pattern at their throats consisting of a vertical dark brown or black line connecting perpendicularly to a similar horizontal line. Females have spots over their breasts and their buff colored throats are unmarked. The rest of the quail’s body has a mottled pattern with a paler underside. Common Quail have dark eyes and there is a white stripe in evidence above each eye. Many have white-collar patterns, although in some females these may not be so noticeable. The legs of Common Quail are flesh colored and their beaks range in color from an olive brown to a lighter yellow brown shade. Males can be distinguished from females by a large round bump on the rump of the male.

Health

Care of domesticated adults is not difficult. They need protection from rain and wind, and shade when it is very hot. It should be noted that this breed has a bad habit of flying strait up when they are startled. They will often hit their heads on the roof of their enclosure. This can be a major problem, and can even cause death to the quail. Normally clipping their wings can solve this problem, and making the cages sort, so they can’t build up their speed. It should also be noted that the males can be very aggressive, and for this reason you should have a ratio of one male to three females. Common Quail may occasionally be toxic to some people. The name of this toxicity is Coturnism, and it affects a seemingly random cross section of the population. It is thought that people may show a genetic predisposition for the illness. Breeding These quail are very prolific in captivity. The domesticated ones will not usually brood their eggs, so an incubator is required. The hens start laying around 6 weeks of age. The Common Quail usually breeds in the early summer and finds a mate through vocal displays. Males tend to highly outnumber females, so breeding is a very selective process. A clutch of between nine and 15 eggs will generally be deposited in a scrape the female makes in the ground and then lined with vegetation. These eggs usually incubate for between 16 and 21 days. The chicks are considered delicate, because they are so small. They have to have very warm temperatures (98 Fahrenheit) at first, and they often die of drowning - using sallow pop-bottle fonts can prevent this.

Habitat

N/A

Behavior

Charming, compact little birds, Common Quail are a familiar sight in some areas of the world. They have been considered valuable for centuries. Common Quail live in fields of tall grass or grains. They communicate with one another through a variety of calls. Males attract females with the ‘triplet call’ at breeding season. Usually, Common Quail are hard to identify because they hide in vegetation. Rather than taking flight when it feels threatened, the Common Quail generally attempts to run and hide. Common Quail have also been known to eat grains and grasses. In captivity they need about 22% protein in their feed. Generally, these birds migrate seasonally but the migratory patterns are not well understood because they are quite complex.

Origin

Europe and Asia

History

The Common Quail occurs throughout almost all of Europe and its range extends down into North Africa and over into India and northern China in the east. Although Common Quail and other species of quail, like Asiatic Quail, do not interbreed in the wild, they can reproduce with reduced fertility. In Western Europe, due to escapees from quail farms, these hybrids may be more common with a detrimental effect on the Common Quail’s genetic purity as well as their fertility. Common Quail are also known as European Quail or Mediterranean Quail. As game birds, they have been hunted for meat for centuries and today are raised popularly as domestic birds. The eggs of Common Quail are considered a delicacy. The yokes are much milder than chicken eggs and have an almost creamy texture when hard boiled.

Common Foods

In summer when insects are more abundant, the Common Quail will feed on insects as well as their usual diet of seeds.

Turkey - Bronze

Alternative Name
American Mammoth Bronze Scientific Name: Meleagris gallopavo
Basic Info

By maturity, male Bronze Turkeys (toms) usually weigh 25 to 40 pounds, while females (hens) weigh between 14 and 26 pounds. Their feathers are dull black with a hint of greenish brown, and appear to have a metallic sheen in daylight. The rump of this turkey appears particularly bronzed, while the plumage over the frontal regions has more red and green coloration. Bronze Turkeys have white edging about their tail feathers. There are two body types of Bronze Turkey: the unimproved, or wild type, and the Broad-breasted. Broad-breasted Bronze Turkeys have larger, meatier breasts than the wild type and are more commonly used for commercial production.

Health

Breeding Male Bronze Turkeys can be distinguished from females by the presence of wattles. The Broad-breasted type of Bronze Turkey cannot naturally mate, as its broad breast prevents it from being physically able to copulate. These turkeys must be artificially inseminated. However, the wild type of Bronze Turkey is able to mate naturally.

Habitat

N/A

Behavior

The Bronze Turkey is the domestic breed of turkey that is very similar in appearance to the wild North American turkey, though it often grows much larger. These birds, though they have become rarer in recent years, can make fine pets or production birds. It has been reported that Bronze Turkeys are a bit calmer than other breeds of turkey, making them a bit easier to handle. Handlers say that, when they enter their Bronze Turkeys’ enclosures, the birds will come up to them looking for food. Like most turkeys, the Bronze can be susceptible to cold precipitation and should be sheltered from the elements. Often, hybrids of Bronze Turkey are sold as backyard pets.

Origin

North America

History

Bronze Turkeys originated in North America. They were first domesticated by the Aztec people, as early as 500 years ago. Although both types of Bronze Turkey have become relatively rare in North America, the Broad-breasted is more common. However, these birds are more difficult to breed than the wild type; because they cannot mate due to the size of their breasts; artificial insemination is required. Bronze Turkeys were the chief turkey produced in the United States until around 1960.

Common Foods

N/A