Fun King Quail Facts For Kids
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Are you interested in learning about different species of birds? In this article, you will learn about the colorful little bird that is the king quail (Coturnix chinensis).
If you have not come across this name, you may recognize one of its many other names like blue-breasted quail, Excalfactoria chinensis, Chinese painted quail, Asian blue quail, or Chung-Chi. King quail is the smallest species of old-world quail.
King quail is often mistakenly called 'button quail', which is a distant family of the birds. These colorful creatures defy the norms of being birds and live their lives on the ground. In fact, king quails rarely fly.
There is so much to learn about them. So keep on reading to inform yourself of some really fascinating king quail facts to become a better expert on these birds.
If you enjoy reading facts about the king quail, consider reading these articles on mountain quail and quail.
King Quail Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a king quail?
The king quail is a type of bird.
What class of animal does a king quail belong to?
King quails belong to the class Aves. Furthermore, king quails belong to the family Phasianidae and genus Coturnix.
How many king quails are there in the world?
There are no exact estimates of the king quail population. However, their population has been stable for a while and is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.
Where does a king quail live?
King quails live in the wild in Southeast Asia and Oceania countries. They are also kept as pets or in zoos, so they can be found all over the world.
Excalfactoria chinensis may be found in India, Sri Lanka, or southeastern China. Nicobar blue-breasted quails are found in the Andaman and Nicobar islands of India. Other subspecies can be found in Australia, the Philippines, and New Guinea.
What is a king quail's habitat?
King quail or Chinese painted quails live near inland wetlands. A king quail may also be found in tropical and temperate grasslands or a shrubland-type habitat.
King quails prefer to live close to a habitat with water sources and spend most of their time foraging on the ground. In India and Myanmar, this preference results in them living in and around paddy fields. King quails can be found in places of dense vegetation with shrubs and damp sites.
Who do king quails live with?
Chinese painted quails are not built for long-distance flight. They live their entire lives in close proximity to each other. They may live in pairs or coveys. Although, it must be noted that males do not get along with each other all that well due to their rivalry in looking for the opportunity to mate.
How long does a king quail live?
In the wild, a king quail (Coturnix chinensis) is known to live between three to six years. The average lifespan of a king quail or Chinese painted quail in captivity though can go past a decade.
How do they reproduce?
Male king quails fight among themselves to compete for the right to mate with a female king quail. In some sense, it is truly the survival of the genes of the fittest.
The breeding season for king quails is determined by the rainy season which is different in various parts of the world. The rainy season in Asia is during the months of June to August, while in Oceanic countries like Australia or New Guinea, the rainy season is from December to March.
The clutch size range between six to 14 eggs. Interestingly, females may refuse to brood the eggs unless the clutch size is big enough.
These eggs are laid in a nest or on the ground, and it takes about 16 days of incubation for the chicks to hatch. The chicks will stay around their mother for four weeks before they become independent.
What is their conservation status?
According to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), the Asian blue quail is a species with the status Least Concern. While in general, the king quail (Coturnix chinensis) population is stable worldwide, conservation efforts are underway in some regions to protect the king quail.
For instance, the king quail is listed as Endangered in the 2007 advisory of threatened vertebrate in Victoria, Australia.
King Quail Fun Facts
What do king quails look like?
The king quail is a small colorful bird. The natural colors of males range from blue-gray to dark brown.
A female quail, on the other hand, is mostly brown in color with a lighter brown abdomen. The king quail, be it male or female, also has a black beak, black throat, and yellow feet that pair with their colorful feathers.
King quail breast feathers are a distinct chestnut-red color. They may even produce tones of silver and white in captivity, where their breeding is done selectively to make them more colorful.
How cute are they?
King quails or Chinese painted quails are a beautiful bird and with their small size, they are endearing too. Their appearance can truly inspire art.
How do they communicate?
The king quail species have many calls that they use to communicate with each other. They use a combination of cackles, grunts, and high-pitched sounds to talk. They have specific calls to mate, to inform about incubating eggs, and to share food. You can learn these specific calls and understand what the blue-breasted quail is up to.
How big is a king quail?
King quails are quite small animals and are in fact the smallest quails. This quail is between 4.7-5.5 in (12-14 cm) long.
The length of their wings is between 2.5-3 in (65-78 mm) for males, while females are a tad bit shorter at about 2.6 in (66 mm). This disparity is reversed for the length of their tails as a female king quail has a longer tail. They are slightly bigger than an average chestnut sparrow.
How fast can a king quail fly?
These birds rarely fly and instead spend most of their time on the ground, hidden in thick grass cover. It is hard to estimate how fast they may be able to fly. It is certain that they are not built to fly that well, and therefore, are not very fast fliers.
How much does a king quail weigh?
The weight of these quails falls somewhere between the range of 1-1.4 oz (28-40 g).
What are their male and female names of the species?
A female quail can be referred to as a hen, while a male can be called a cock.
What would you call a baby king quail?
Baby king quails are simply referred to as chicks.
What do they eat?
King quail birds or Chinese painted quail birds, generally eat various types of grass seeds. Less frequently than that, their diet may include small worms and insects.
Are they dangerous?
King quail birds are pretty harmless and cannot hurt you. When intimidated, the most they can do is make a high-pitched call that can hurt your ears.
Would they make a good pet?
King quails are an interesting pet option. They have a great temperament that is ideal for beginner pet or quail owners. They are easy to feed and they don't cost too much to buy. Do your own research, and search for an ethical and reputable breeder before you make the decision to get yourself this pretty bird.
Did you know...
The egg of a king quail has a unique look. The egg is of a brown to dark olive green color and is covered in dark brown or black spots all over.
Males of this species are eager to share their food with their partners. They even have a special call to inform the female of the worm it has found. The male will make monotone 'peeps' as it presents the worm to the female.
The king quail (Coturnix chinensis) is a popular species in the world of aviculture. Aviculture is the practice of raising and breeding wild birds in captivity.
The behavior of king quails is well studied in such environments. It is well known that if they lay their egg on the ground in captivity, then it implies that they are not pleased.
Quails prefer to sleep out in the open in dense vegetation so they can easily spot their predators, rather than hiding in nests or in tree cavities.
Do king quails sit on their eggs?
King quail female lays between six to 14 eggs. These birds do not sit on their eggs to brood unless the clutch size is large enough.
If the clutch size is considered too small, the egg or eggs are simply abandoned by the female. As they are birds that spend most of their time on the ground, they lay their eggs on the ground too, at times even without building a nest.
Are king quail native to Australia?
While king quails are not native to Australia alone, some subspecies are in fact native to Australia. These birds can be found in their preferable habitat along the eastern borders of Australia, all the way from Cape York to southeastern Australia.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds including common yellowthroat, or prothonotary warbler.
You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our king quail coloring pages.
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