Some birds are called quails. 
Some birds are called quails. 
Quails are small birds. Humans have raised them for many years. People keep them for meat and eggs. Some people keep them as pets, too. 
The Coturnix quail is a very common type. It is also called the Japanese quail. This bird is large. It makes more meat and more eggs than other kinds. They often have brown feathers. We call this color the Pharaoh breed. Some Coturnix quails are white or grey. Others have patterns on their feathers.
Button quails are much smaller. They are also called King quails. People rarely keep them for food. They do not make as many eggs. These birds often live in large aviaries. An aviary is a large cage for birds.
Button quails have many colors. Some males have blue bodies and red bellies. Females are often brown all over. Most quails live on the ground. They rarely fly unless they must. There are 70 different domestic breeds of quail today.
Domesticated quails are small birds raised by humans. They belong to a group of many small fowl species. People have raised these birds for thousands of years. This long history of breeding has changed how they look. Most people keep them for meat or for eggs. Some people even keep them as pets. 
These birds have a specific way of living. Most quails live on the ground. They rarely fly unless they are forced to do so. People often keep them in long wire cages. These birds eat a special food called game bird feed. Some types, like the Button quail, live in large aviaries. These large cages help clean up leftover seeds on the floor.
Humans have created many different kinds of quails. There are twenty types of wild quail in the world. There are also 70 domestic breeds or strains. Some of these are made for labs or for farms. The Coturnix quail is the most common domestic type. It is also known as the Japanese quail. This bird is large and produces much meat and many eggs.
Different quails have many unique colors. The Pharaoh breed is a common brown color. The Coturnix quail has many other colors too. The English White is white all over. The Silver type is light grey. The Tuxedo type mixes white and brown feathers. The Manipur Bush quail lives in places like India. It can be found near the Brahmaputra river in Assam. 
Button quails are much smaller than Coturnix quails. They are also called King or Blue-Breasted quails. Because they are small, people rarely use them for food. They do not produce as many eggs as the larger birds. Male Button quails can have blue bodies and red bellies. They might also have black and white heads. Female Button quails are often brown all over.
Domesticated quails are specialized forms of the quail. The term quail refers to a group of several small species of fowl. Humans have guided the evolution of these birds through thousands of years of breeding. This process is known as domestication. People raise these birds for several different reasons. Many are kept for meat and egg production. Others are kept as pets. 
These birds have specific biological needs and habits. Most quails are ground-dwelling birds. This means they live and move on the floor rather than in trees. They rarely fly unless they are forced to do so. In a domestic setting, people often keep them in long wire cages. These birds are typically fed a specific type of food called game bird feed. Some smaller types, like the Button quail, are kept in large aviaries. These large enclosures help manage leftover seeds that fall to the floor.
There is a wide variety of quail types in the world. There are twenty types of wild quail currently known. Humans have also developed 70 domestic breeds or strains. These include specialized lines used in laboratories and commercial farming. The Coturnix quail, also called the Japanese quail, is the most common domestic type. It is much larger than other varieties. Because of this size, it is kept mainly for meat and egg consumption. It produces more meat and more eggs than other breeds.
Other types of quail serve different purposes. Button quails are also known as King, Chinese-Painted, or Blue-Breasted quails. They are much smaller than the Coturnix. Because they are small, they produce fewer eggs. This makes them rare for food production. Other species like the Bobwhite, Gambel's, Scaled, and California quails are less common. They are also rarely kept as pets. Some species, like the Manipur Bush quail, have very specific habitats. This bird is found mainly near the Brahmaputra river in India. It lives in areas such as Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and West Bengal.
Breeding has created many distinct feather colors. The Coturnix quail has many named color varieties. The Pharaoh breed is the original brown color found in the wild. The English White breed is white across both males and females. The Manchurian Golden variety is light rusty with a pattern. In this breed, males have darker rusty heads than females. The Italian breed is beige with striated markings. The Tibetan variety is dark chocolate with a white spot under the beak. Other colors include Silver, which is light grey, and Tuxedo, which mixes white and brown.
Button quails also show incredible color diversity. The wild or common version has a red breast and a blue body. These males also have black and white faces. Female Button quails are different because they are brown all over. There are many other color mutations for this type. The Silver variety features light grey feathers for both sexes. The White variety is plain white for both males and females. The Red Breasted variety has a large red underbelly. Other types include the Blue Faced, Cinnamon, and Golden Pearl varieties.
Understanding these birds helps us see how humans interact with nature. Through domestication, we have changed the physical traits of these fowl. We have selected certain birds for size or color. This has resulted in the 70 domestic strains we see today. Whether for food, science, or companionship, quails are a significant part of domestic bird life. Their evolution shows how long-term breeding can create massive variety from a single group of species.
🖼️ Images & Media (2)
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
🪜 Step back
Simpler topics to build understanding
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.