FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
The New Zealand quail is an extinct species of bird that was endemic to the country of New Zealand. It is a herbivorous bird that fed on seeds, grass, grains, and nuts. The species was temperate and terrestrial and favored a grassland habitat, more specifically, the lowland tussock grassland. It was also found in open fernlands. The New Zealand quail possibly lived in social groups and for around 2-3 years. It was probably a monogamous bird that laid 10-12 whitish-yellow eggs in a breeding season. The New Zealand quail was a sexually dimorphic species with variations in the colors of the male and female birds. Its overall color was brown. New Zealand quail populations started declining around the 1850s when game birds were introduced to their habitats which brought diseases. The New Zealand quail species was also hunted incessantly by humans which made it go extinct around the year 1875.
For more relatable content, check out these summer tanager facts and hermit thrush facts for kids.
The New Zealand quail (Coturnix novaezelandiae) was a bird.
The New Zealand quail (Coturnix novaezelandiae) belonged to the 'Aves' class of animals.
There are no more New Zealand quails left in the world. They went extinct from their New Zealand habitat range around the year 1875. Game birds being introduced to their range and hunting by humans were the causes.
The New Zealand quail (Coturnix novaezelandiae) used to be endemic to New Zealand, both the North and South islands.
The New Zealand quail (Coturnix novaezelandiae) was a temperate and terrestrial species. It inhabited grasslands, specifically lowland tussock grasslands. It was also found in the fernlands of both the North Island and the South Island.
Since quails are social animals, it can be assumed that the birds of the New Zealand quail family lived mostly in groups.
It is unclear how long New Zealand quails lived for, but their generation length was 2.8 years, and quails, in general, live around 2-3 years.
New Zealand quails were most probably a monogamous species. The nests were built in the ground in shallow scrapes and they had a grass lining. A clutch of 10-12 eggs was laid by the female quails which were incubated for three weeks. The eggs were an overall buff or whitish-yellow in color. The eggs also had smudged brown spots or dark brown blotches. Young juveniles were seen to have fledged by the month of April in New Zealand's South Island. New Zealand quails are believed to have played prominent parental roles. A family of seven juveniles along with a male and female parent are known to have been hunted and killed during their population decline. New Zealand quail chicks were born precocial, meaning they were born in an advanced state and were able to feed themselves sooner than other birds.
The conservation status of the New Zealand quail species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature is 'Extinct'.
New Zealand quails were 6.9-8.7 in (17.5-22 cm) long and weighed around 7.1 -7.8 oz (200-220 g). New Zealand quails were an overall dark brown color. On the upper parts of their wings and the back were vertical markings that were cream or buff. The primary wing feathers had golden buff edges. Sexual dimorphism was apparent in the male and female New Zealand quails. Males had abdomens and breasts that were buff and had heavy markings which were brown to black. The breasts and abdomens of the females were buff-colored with dark brown edges. Males had an orange-rufous color that extended from the eyes to the throat. Females also had this feature but in a light buff color. Females also had dark buff color around their eyes. New Zealand quails had a brown-colored crown. They also had a white stripe that began at the beak, went over the eye and to the neck's backside. The birds on the South Island showed some variations when compared to those on the North Island. The ones on the South Island were possibly lighter than the ones on the North Island. The juveniles resembled the adult females and had overall paler underparts.
*Please note this is a general quail species as the New Zealand Quail is extinct If you have an image of the New Zealand Quail, let us know at [email protected]
New Zealand quails were cute little birds. Females and males looked different, but they were an overall brownish color. Their bodies were also adorned with shades of cream, buff, and rufous. They also had beautiful dark markings and a white stripe near the eyes. They were small, cute herbivores with sweet 'twit-twit' calls.
New Zealand quails or 'koreke' were known to communicate via calls. The male quails were known to utter repetitive 'twit-twit-twit-twee-twit' calls.
New Zealand quails were 6.9-8.7 in (17.5-22 cm) long which makes them twice as big as rufous hummingbirds and 3-4 times smaller than tawny eagles. They were also slightly bigger than king quails.
The flight speeds of the New Zealand quail are unknown, but like most quails, it can be assumed that they flew at speeds of 30-40 mph (48-64 kph).
New Zealand quails or 'koreke' weighed around 7.1 -7.8 oz (200-220 g). Male quails were heavier than female quails.
Like most other birds, males and females of the New Zealand quail species were known as 'cocks' and 'hens'.
A baby New Zealand quail was called a chick.
New Zealand quails were herbivores who ate seeds, grass, grains, and nuts.
They played an important role in their ecosystems considering their plant-based diets.
No, New Zealand quails were not dangerous. It was humans that proved much too dangerous for them. They were hunted heavily and became extinct in 1875.
It is not possible to have a New Zealand quail as a pet since it is an extinct species.
The Australian stubble quail (Coturnix pectoralis) is a closely related species of the New Zealand quail, endemic to the Australian country. Unlike the New Zealand quail, the Australian stubble quail (Coturnix pectoralis) is not threatened.
Another closely related species is the Australian brown quail. The order, family, and genus of the Australian brown quail are Galliformes, Phasianidae, and Synoicus respectively.
The New Zealand quail bird was called 'koreke' in the Māori language.
Quails are fairly common in New Zealand, namely the California, bobwhite, and brown quails
The North and South Islands are two of the biggest islands in New Zealand.
Yes, New Zealand quails were one of the endemic birds of New Zealand.
There were a few factors that contributed to the extinction of the New Zealand quails. One was when the game birds were introduced to their habitat range which brought fatal diseases to them. During the 1850s, they were heavily hunted by humans and they were extinct by the year 1875. It is also believed that the fires in their grassland habitat that destroyed their food and shelter as well as invasive species like rats, cats, and dogs did much harm to their populations.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these bee hummingbird facts and Frigate bird fun facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Elepio Bird coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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