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The Significant Role Of Quail In The Old World

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Quail are small game birds found all around the world. Quail can be traced back as early as 770 B.C. in the Far East. They are thought to also have played a significant role with the Egyptians, as a main protein source for their workers. Quail are a hearty, plump, ground dwelling bird found throughout the world. Though they are able to fly they usually only fly when startled. Quail live in large groups called coveys, especially in the spring where they may lay as many as 10-16 eggs. They are considered to be a member of the pheasant family. Quail are divided into two groups, New World and Old World quail. New World quail are distantly related to Old World quail. There are six types of quail found in the United States. Three of the most …show more content…

Californian quail are also the state bird of California. These birds grow to be 4.9-8.1 oz with a wingspan of 12.6-14.6 in. The males are grey and brown with a black outlined face with bold white stripes on their flanks. The females aren’t quite so flashy, being mainly brown and not having much facial expression. The Californian quail also has what is known as a plume or a top knot on top of their heads. The plume looks like a single feather but it is actually 6 feathers that overlap. In the wild they only have a life expectancy of 2 years because they have many natural predators like skunks, cats, and foxes. They are also a popular game bird with hunters. The Californian quail has an interesting call lasting about 1 second …show more content…

They vary in length from 10.2 to 12.2 inches long and weigh 6.7-9.2 oz. making them the largest of the quail species in the United States. Mountain quail prefer the shrubby vegetation of the mountains where they spend their days foraging for seeds, flowers and in the fall they eat acorns. These birds have a reddish face, bold white stripes on their flanks, short tail and a long plume that sticks straight up. As with most quail Mountain quail do not migrate but sometimes they do make altitudinal changes in some of the mountain ranges. Mountain quail have a distinctive loud call

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