Domesticated quail

Types of breeds and Feather Colorings

"Around the world, there are 20 types of wild and about 70 domestic quail breeds or strains, including laboratory and commercial quail". Due to their large size, Coturnix (Japanese) quail are kept for meat and egg consumption, because of the quantity of meat they contain and the amount of eggs they produce. Button quail (also known as King Quail, Chinese-Painted Quail and Blue-Breasted quail) are rarely kept for the consumption of meat and egg due to the small sizes of their bodies and eggs. Rather, they are commonly kept in large aviaries to clean the leftover seed that falls to the floor. California, Gambel, Bobwhite, Scaled quail etc. are less common and are rarely kept as pets.

Quail breeds

• Coturnix or Japanese quail.
• Button, King, Chinese-Painted or Blue-Breasted quail.
• (Northern) Bobwhite quail.
• Gambel's quail.
• Mearn's quail.
• Mountain quail.
• Scaled quail.
• California (Valley) quail.

Both Button and Coturnix quail have different feather coloring due to years of breeding. The common and wild Coturnix quail color is the Pharaoh breed, which is a brown feather color. The Button quails common coloring is the red breast, blue body, black and white head, and the brown back all in one (only present in males; females are a brown color all over).

Coturnix (Japanese) quail feather coloring

• Pharaoh - Rusty brown presented underbelly and an original brown color on the head and upper body.
• English White - White all over in both males and females.
• Manchurian Golden - Light rusty color all over with a pattern. Males have a darker rusty color presented on the head whilst females are lighter in color.
• Italian - Beige color with striated markings, males are presented with brown faces.
• Tibetan (Dark British Range) - A dark chocolate color all over with a spot of white under the beaks.
• Rosetta (British Range) - A red-brown chocolate color all over.
• Silver - A light grey color all over.
• Tuxedo - A white and brown mix.
• Cinnamon (Red Range) - A light brown color all over.
• Scarlet (Red Golden) - A red-brown color all over.
• Roux - A lighter color of the Pharaoh (wild) version.
• Golden Tuxedo - White feathers all over with blonde feathers presented.

Other colors seen may be mutations.

Button quail feather coloring

• Wild (Common) Feather Color - Red breast, blue body, black and white face, and a brown back. Females are brown all over.
• Silver - Another common feather coloring. Both females and males are a light grey in color. Males are presented with a black and white face.
• Red Breasted - Large color of red presented on the underbelly. Much alike the wild feather coloring.
• Blue Faced - Blue underbelly and dark brown back in males and a dark brown all over in females.
• Cinnamon - A light brown color.
• Golden Pearl - Females are a lighter brown.
• Tuxedo Pied - A white and brown color mix.

Other colors seen may be mutations.