Coturnix Quail

Coturnix quail in their native lands are migratory birds. They were captured, and kept for their singing ability (which is funny since they don't sing really, but the male will do a "koo-tur-nix!" call during breeding season hence their name), they were then bred for their egg and meat production. However, as for their call...us as breeders seem to agree it sounds like they are saying "Look-at-me" or "how'm-I-Doin"?

They are native to Europe, Asia, and Africa. All the species from these areas were interbred to make one domestic bird.

They migrate over the Mediterranean Sea and that's where the Egyptians collected the weak flying in from the sea and where a lot of the domestication seems to come from. Also in Japan.

Coturnix and the Coturnix subspecies seem to have been interbred together during domestication.

Coturnix quail are known as Pharoah Coturnix, and Jumbo Coturnix to name a few

Pharoah pretty much means the wild type, Jumbos are just larger selectively bred Coturnix

Colors are as follows (though not limited to-- because many new morphs are able to come up all the time).

*Pharoah Coturnix- Wild color.

*Jumbo Brown Coturnix- Wild color but bred larger.

*English White- smaller than the below A&M, but closely related to it as EWs are the gene that was incorporated to produce the A&Ms...come in pure white to pure white with brown spots mainly on back of head, but also can be found on back. Pure white meat.

*A & M- Selectively bred by Texas A&M university for their white meat and pure white feathers- can also have brown spots on back of head and or on the back.

* Golden (aka Manchurian, Golden Speckled)- in normal size and jumbo.

   - there is also a Cinnamon Gold .

*Tibetan (aka British Range)- dark coloring- can come in light and cinnamon forms as well.

*Tuxedo- this bird is produced by breeding an A&M to a British range.

* Silver

*Cinnamon- this color is also known as Red some people misrepresent it as Fawn/Ginger. Cinnamon also comes in Tibetan/range pattern.

*read head- from what I read on laboratory studies this bird is white with a RED head....interesting!

*black-  this breed may be "black at hatch" which is a dark Tibetan/range.

*Fawn- this color is known as Rosetta in the Tibetan/range form it also has a wild form more solid fawn coloring visit this link to see a Fawn, a normal and a Cinnamon together.