Quail Nest: Everything You Need To Know About Their Nesting Behavior

The popular California quail presents a nesting behavior different from usual birds.

Hearing the loud rhythmic sound of a quail must have made you wonder about quail and its living habitat. Understanding their nesting behavior might help you to unlock answers to many such questions surrounding California quail.

The non-migratory bird Quail Callipepla, or widely known as quail, is commonly found. The docile behavior of these flightless birds makes them a good pet in many households, yet many people use them primarily for meat, eggs, or to train hunting dogs. Qualities of a quail bird vary with their species, ranging from mountain quail to California quail, which lives in the shrublands and the high desert of the province; their nesting behavior remains the same. Just like ground hornet nest and ground bees nest, quails nest on the ground near human vicinity. The bird prepares a nest out of shreds and branches just like every other species, but instead of using tall tree branches as the nest site, they choose the ground to place the nests. A quail nest and eggs can commonly be found in a yard, garden, and open areas amid heavy shrubs.

This bird species has so many distinct features that it may take hours to learn about it, so let's start by learning how they nest. A bird as common as quail must have its fact known to everyone around, which is why we are here to tell you all about how a quail nests and everything related to it.

What time of year do quail lay eggs?

All bird species have a particular time period to lay eggs.

Similarly, quails have a dedicated period of time to prepare for and lay eggs. But before reaching the actual incubation period, male and female quails require essential habitats to mate. Therefore, these birds flock together in coveys through the fall and winter from September to April by seeking appropriate habitat conditions. The beginning of summer marks the beginning of the mating season, resulting in female quails laying their eggs. In general, female quails lay one brood per breeding season. A single California quail egg clutch may include 8-12 eggs. After laying the male and female bird may abandon the eggs only to return later and lay more eggs. This behavior of a quail is because of the many predators such as large looming hawks or curious human interactions taking place that make the bird feel unsafe. The growing period of an egg is usually 21 days until they hatch, during which both the females and males sit on the eggs to provide it with warmth.

What do quails need to nest?

The essentials of quail nesting habits are here! As seen in images or real life, a quail nesting box is pretty and demands several essentials without which its creation is impossible. Along with fallen branches or leaves, a quail aims to produce a space comfortable enough to lay and hatch eggs with soft ingredients such as corn husks, soft hay, and straws.

Finding the right space is as essential as creating a complete nest, so they are only created on chosen habitats. The flightless bird prefers creating a nest on the ground around rich vegetation with thick shrubs to keep the nest accessible and hidden from predators. These birds usually eat flowers, insects, berries (mostly seeds) as food; therefore, they can be found creating colonies near the human vicinity. Constant food and enclosed space allow safety to the eggs ready to enter the hatching phase, making it a perfect place for quails to locate.

Where do quails nest at night?

Quails show an unusual behavior to protect eggs at night. Nighttime creates an aura of vulnerability for an egg, exposing it to be eaten by snakes, taken away into the wild, or broken by natural forces. As the birds lack the ability to fly or climb trees to form a nest, the best way to ensure the safety of eggs during the nighttime is by hiding them on the ground.

California quails hide the eggs around spaces such as long grasses, under thick shrubs, or the base trees to keep them away from the eyes of any predators. Surprisingly, few species of these birds are nocturnal and tend to stay active both day and night, so protecting the nest from the wild gets easier. Just like an Elf owl's developed hearing skills and night vision helps it survive, California quail can also undertake the nocturnal shift with its docile nature and a loud voice efficient enough to make threats run.

What does a quail nest look like?

Quail Callipepla or California quail birds create nests like other birds, yet the nest always stays on the ground.

California quail nesting habitats include the usage of tree branches, leaves, hay, and grass to create a good nest for hatching. The nest is lined with grass and leaves to work as a safety cover for the eggs. Situated near heavy bushes and below the trees, quail coveys create nests, including a shallow depression to contain all the eggs. The nest is distinctively larger to contain, as all the eggs hatch together, as quails create many eggs per cycle to take up the space in the nest. It is also used to keep food, such as seeds and berries, to feed the hatched baby birds before using their wings. The most significant aspect of a quail nest is that it is concealed by bushes or branches to offer protection from the habitat containing threatening aspects such as predators or raptor birds or the chilly days of winter.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for quail nest, then why not take a look at the ground wasp nest or quail facts?