Thread: Californian Quail

Cool photos we have a small family around our house , mum dad and 3 chicks, been watching them grow up, they looked so hard case when they were first born, big heads on legs, should have gotten some pics. We feed them and they are getting used to us, we can get pretty close now. Any body no where they nest or if you can build nesting boxes for them, the wife pretty fond of them and wants to try and encourage them around.

Originally Posted by rusl

Cool photos we have a small family around our house , mum dad and 3 chicks, been watching them grow up, they looked so hard case when they were first born, big heads on legs, should have gotten some pics. We feed them and they are getting used to us, we can get pretty close now. Any body no where they nest or if you can build nesting boxes for them, the wife pretty fond of them and wants to try and encourage them around.

Yeah me too - I'd like to build nesting boxes for our residents as well

I have seen lots of Quail families with young chicks - bumble bee size from December to almost full grown right now
Quail nest in warm, dry, safe areas - to be successful they need to be predator free - no cats, rats, hogs or mustilids - in that order
Year on year - they breed in the same areas - around the Park where I control predators - I am currently seeing family groups - often six to eight chicks per Mum or Dad - clever birds as they seem to nest several times and the family look after the chicks
I have only ever taken pics of one nest site - it was in a garden near a farm shed so they were accustomed to humans - 16 December 2015
They are very mobile and often used the driveway to move around - I might see them down the bottom in the morning then 400m up the drive to the shed by lunchtime and heading on up further