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Youth > Creature Features > California Quail

Quail in New Zealand

The native New Zealand Quail was uncommon during early European settlement in NZ and considered extinct by about 1870. Californian quail were introduced to Nelson in 1865 and other parts of NZ soon followed. Today quail are the most common upland game bird in both the North and South Islands.

What do they look like

The California Quail is 9-10 inches (23-25.5 cm) long. It has a short, black bill. The adult male quail has a tall, forward-pointing head plume like a top-knot of six over-lapping, broad-ended feathers. On its forehead its feathers are a buffy yellow with black shafts, bounded behind by a double band of white and of black; the back of the head is a dull brown and the chin and throat are a velvety black. The flanks (sides) are brown with white streaks. The female is duller though similar only a lighter tone and it and lacks the distinctive black and white head markings.

Where do they like to live?

They are found in a variety of habitats, from open scrub & fields to some parks.

What do they eat?

They usually eat seeds and leaves as well as insects.

How do they nest?

Their nest is a simple scrape in the ground, lined with grass and leaves, which it hides under scrub, hedges, brush heaps and logs, and occasionally the nests of other birds. The females lay eggs, which are cream-colored with brown marking, and usually 6-17 eggs in each clutch (a set of eggs laid at one time) depending on the quantity and quality of food they consume.

They usually nest from spring through to summer and incubate their eggs for from 21 to 23 days with the male bird sitting on the nest (incubating) if the female dies, but if not it just stands guard for the female. Baby birds are up and running within an hour or less of hatching. Both adults and babies will freeze (hide under cover) instantly if frightened and with their camouflage coloring this makes them almost impossible to discover.

Do they fly?

Yes, though they prefer to run. When they do fly they can spring up from the ground instantly and with a whir of wings as rapid as it is startling, make off in different directions and drop into the protective cover of scrub. They will also take shelter in nearby trees. When excited they can run very fast, but when not so disturbed they move quite slowly, carrying their heads erect with their plumes directed upward and forward in a dignified manner.

How do they communicate?

They make a variety of sounds, which are used for different conditions and to express various meanings. When anxious or disturbed they will make a soft pit, pit , pit or whit, whit, whit sound in rapid succession as they run about or are about to take wing. They also make this sound to call their chicks together. But when a flock is scattered the male makes a loud call which sounds like k-woik-uh or tuck-ke-teu, which is said to be interpreted as come right home!

And during the mating season the male mounts a bush near his breeding mate and utters a single, loud, far-carrying kayrk at irregular intervals from one to 12 seconds along with an occasional explosive sound.

What do they do each day?

They are usually very busy during daylight, awake at first dawn and flying down to ground from the trees where they’ve spent the night. The first thing they do each morning is to gather at a nearby pool or stream to drink, then from then on they spend all day gathering and eating food, apart from the occasional drink and except for the extreme heat of the summer when they’ll take a short siesta. When feeding a flock will often post a guard to watch out for predators. And in the late afternoon on rainless and sunny days they’ll often preen their feathers with a dust bath.

Are they sociable?

Yes, usually they are found in flocks, called a covey, which can be made up of a number of ten up to around 40 birds.

Do quail have bones?

Quail have an internal skeleton like you and me and grow by adding material to this skeleton and to their muscles. A bird's bones are much lighter than ours - birds have honeycomb bones so that they are not too heavy to fly.

You can see all the bones in a bird’s skeleton in this picture and what their bones are called. Do any have the same names as your bones?