Skip to main content

King Quail

Coturnix chinensis
The King Quail, also known as the Asian Blue Quail, or Painted Quail, is the smallest of all the "true Quail" species. They measure only about 6in in length, and the females are actually larger than the males. You'll find them in south and southeast Asia, Australia, and on several Pacific islands.

Males are where the "Blue" name comes from-- they have slate blue breasts that are not present at all in females. Elsewhere their feathers range from a reddish brown, to lighter shades of brown, to black. This Quail species is quite popular in aviculture, and in captivity there are several other color variations that can be found.

King Quails live in either pairs or in small groups called Coveys. The rainy season dictates when they breed, and the females can lay as many as 14 eggs at a time! The newly hatched chicks are precocial, and go incredibly fast-- they can reach full adulthood after only a month! This quick maturation serves them well in the wild, as they usually only live a few years (they can live more than a decade in captivity).

Because the King Quails are such prolific breeders, and because they have such a massive range, they are listed as being of Least Concern. Some local populations (like those in parts of Australia) are becoming more rare, and are receiving protection.
IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Asia, Australia
Size : Length up to 6in (14cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Galliformes
Family : Phasianidae -- Genus : Coturnix -- Species : C. chinensis
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Burmese Peacock

Polyplectron bicalcaratum Burmese Peacocks are also referred to as Grey Peacock-Pheasants, which is probably a more apt name, as they are not actually Peacocks... though they do belong to the same family. At any rate, they share some physical resemblances to Peacocks- most notably the eyes on their tail feathers. Burmese Peacocks are the national birds of Myanmar, which was called Burma until 1989, though some still refer to it as such. The birds live in several other Southeast Asian countries as well, and are divided into four subspecies. The species as a whole is listed as being of Least Concern , because they have a large range and population size. It unfortunately appears that they may be declining in number, but it is a slow descent that does not yet meet the vulnerability thresholds. The birds are listed under CITES Appendix II, because they can be kept in captivity and grabbing individuals from the wild could become problematic for the species. IUCN Stat...
3 comments
Read more

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a...
59 comments
Read more

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!
18 comments
Read more