Science Quail

Quail Scientific name: Coturnix Coturnix Common English name: Quail Indigenous name: Coturnix Coturnix Biological information about the species: Habitat: Quail live in areas that are very hot and dry, in fact they live in deserted grasslands as well as areas that include lots of plants like prickly pear, pinyon skunk bush sumac and much more! Although habitat may differ depending on what species of Quail. There are four subspecies of quail and this is determined by their plumages. The first two species are northern subspecies and the other species come from Texas into Mexico; their plumages show deep chestnut belly patch. It is a fact that Quail birds live on every continent except Antarctica. Quail birds also really enjoy areas that are filled with shrubs so they can nest, an example of a living space they nest are in canyons. How do Quail nest? Quail birds are fascinating birds, they nest on high grounds for some height advantage and low grounds to collect food. So, what do Quail eat? Since Quail live on higher ground levels and some on lower ground levels they like to feed on seeds, berries, fruits and insects found on ground levels usually under the grass. Some common areas, they nest would be hidden hollows dug up by the birds under tall grasses as well as low-growing brush. Quail birds don’t fly a lot they prefer staying on grasslands so it's common to see a Quail bird leap or run along the ground. Many observations that were made by Ornithologist stated that when the Quail bird is startled, they can actually leap and burst of flight. Did you know quail birds go 12 mph on ground and 58mph in the air? Some other ways Quail birds like to nest are near rock formations or against a thick tree trunk. Did you know that their nests can vary from 5-7 inches in diameter and 1 ½ to 3 inches deep! That’s half the size of an actual Quail bird! Their nests usually consist of leaves, feathers and grass. 2 . Quail birds reproduce sexually, a female and male quail mates to have baby Quail. A clutch is laid by the female which consists of 14 eggs, 10 of those eggs survive. Both the male and the female look after the baby chicks for three weeks. After the chicks learn how to survive and fly, they go out to live on their own and find someone else to mate with. The cycle re starts. Diagram: 3 In what way do other species depend on this species? Quails are known to be solitary birds, if found in pairs or a group, Quails can be called flocks, Bevy, covey or queer. Quails reproduce in the winter during mating season so it’s important for them to live in flocks. Quails aren't very big birds, their eggs also attract many predators like snakes, Racoons, Foxes, Squirrels, Cayotes, Skunks, Hawks, dogs, Cats, Owls, Rats and weasels. Us humans 4 also enjoy hunting so in some cases we can be considered as Quail predators. Animals and humans both depend on Quail. Quails have an interesting way of communicating which can become beneficial when escaping from pray. How do Quails communicate? Quails communicate to rhythmic sounds produced by themselves, when feeling attacked they send out high pitched sounds like grunts and cackles which travel with beats and harmony. These birds are smart and have some defensing mechanisms such as heel spurs. Heel spurring is when the Quail use a bony like structure found in their feet against their predators. But, what do Quails do when they come across a pray? Quails like to spend most of their time on the ground so when faced with the predator they typically run and find a place to hide. Quails don’t always react as fast but when they get a chance to, they can quickly burst a short distance flight away from the predator when threatened others also become motionless. In what way is this species dependent on other species? Quail don’t depend on animals due to their diets being plants and grains. Quail birds depend on the species of primary producers, their diets include seeds, grains, vegetables, insects and more. 90 percent of what Quail birds diet comes from plant material. Time can also affect what they eat because of changes in seasons. Quail birds eat lots of seeds and grains, so they consume the right element and nutrients to ensure they grow and produce regularly. Another delicacy to these birds is certain types of fruits and vegetables. Plants are a major part of their diets after seeds and grains, this includes plants, leaves, fruits and more. The last important source of protein they receive is by eating insects. Insects help with growing power when they hatch. Insects become very important to the Quail chicks during the first few weeks of their lives. In what ways do abiotic features of Canada interact with the species? The habitat of Quail commonly consists of grasslands where the climate is hot and dry. The grasslands ecosystems in British Columbia occur in dry, hot areas and cool to cold in winter. The parent material consists of fine gritty matter and grasslands are often valley and plateau landscapes. 5 There are many living organisms like plants and animals which live in that habitat which adapt to the dry climatic conditions. Many variations in the grassland ecosystem of British Colombia resulted in different elevation, climate, soils, aspect. Mountain ranges result in grassland ecosystems of British Colombia because of their position in relation to the mountain. There are many diversities of species in the ecosystem of grasslands because they could be near rocky cliffs sometimes even wetlands. Below the surface of some grassland plants fine roots search for water unlike big sagebrush they go deep below the surface in search for water because of their long tap roots. A way of protection through climate change and season change, animals and birds like Quails dig burrows underground for protection. The soil profile in grasslands developed on the glacial till, 12,000 to 10,000 years ago the ice melted, and the water traveled to the soil. A deep and organic-rich layer lies within the soil this is caused by the breakdown of the roots and plant material each year. Moisture and elevation increase which then increases the organic layer. Topography; slopes elevation and aspects are all part of topography because they are a variety of shapes found on a landscape. Grasslands are a variety of land types like rock outcrops, cliffs, rolling hills and low-lying areas but having diverse topography is what gives such a variety of grasslands in an ecosystem. Traditional uses of the species in BC/ medicinal properties and nutritional benefits: The traditional Quail is used throughout the province, they are hunted and used as a proper source of food. Quail are high in protein, iron and B vitamins. Protein is essential to our bodies because we need it to build and repair blood muscles. Skin and blood muscles have strength when fighting with illnesses, but they need protein to full fill that process. After consuming protein our body uses the energy to grow properly as well as to keep our nervous system going. Iron is also important for our heart, muscles and brain so our body grows and develops properly. The iron supplies oxygen in our blood. It's important to have healthy blood so we avoid fatigue and illnesses. Quail birds are also traditional towards the aboriginal peoples because they cherish their food and harvest Quail eggs. Harvesting and cultivation methods: There are many ways birds are hunted but the traditional way to do it is by using arrows and nets. The way the aboriginal peoples find their birds is by using arrows and a retrieving line or burning and painting it then they strike it at the bird and its caught. 6 What conditions are necessary to sustain the species? The species of Quail need to stay in warm areas and dry places to survive and sustain a proper life. Now you may be wondering how Quail survive the winter because they revolve around warm areas. Quail can survive winter conditions, they can do this by using covers made from grass, trees and shrubs. Quail birds need lots of protein to survive the winters because they use that energy to produce warmth. These birds are fascinating because they use their own body fat to protect themselves from freezing winter conditions like heavy snow and temperatures below -3. long cold winters can follow up with very chilly winds, but these winds can become a blessing for these birds. Wind becomes important because it allows Quail to feed much easier, with a strong wind, the fresh snow can get uncovered and that’s when insects and other animals become more visible to these birds. The life cycle of a Quail bird is interesting because we don’t often see these birds in open sight like our front lawns. The Quail birds start off their cycle by nesting which happens usually in tall grasses and shrubs as well as giving birth. Quails can lay one clutch that consists of 14 eggs, unfortunately with weather conditions and pray only 10 survive. The male and female both play a role of watching their baby chicks. When the chicks hatch, they stay in their nest for another 3 weeks. The first two weeks are used for transitioning the chicks into a proper grain and seed diet then the final third week consists of attempts to fly and also learning how to fly by both parents. The rest of the cycle consists of three things; shelter, roosting and mating season. Shelter is very important in this cycle because these birds need a way to hide from their pray and be able to survive so eventually, they can reproduce. Roosting is another important factor in the cycle because all the birds can gather together and usually, they have a 360 view around them all so they're able to look for pray. The final part is mating season, the males all find trees to stay in and they use their calls to attract the female birds. To sustain a peaceful cycle the locations where the Quails are laying eggs should be disturbed as well as if there were to be some type of issue most likely the birds will migrate and leave which potentially really result in an issue. Removing one species effects the other species because each animal is a part of its own life cycle. Animals like skunks, racoons, foxes and even human would be very effected. 7 The traditional practices performed by the first nations in BC make sure they cultivate and harvest animals in a safe and proper way. Quail birds are normally hunted with arrows and retrieving lines these tools do not make any loud noises and don’t come in conflict with other species or wildlife around them. After killing the Quail bird, it is then skinned and the feathers are stripped of and used for coats, hats or even tools. The aboriginals of BC know not to over hunt, so the animal becomes endangered but quite frankly they share their hunting with their family and friends. The inside meat is fried or cooked over a fire and it is eaten for a great source of protein. Hunting for Quail has no part in ruining the bird's habitat it simply just takes the birds life away, but every single piece of the bird is put to good use and there is no waste. When an animal is killed some aboriginal peoples like to thank the bird for giving up its life to feed them, so they preform aboriginal ceremonies that involve whaling. Now many aboriginals aren't hunting for Quail birds. Quail birds are hard to hunt for and take lots of time to hunt for because they are not common birds. Quail birds are super small and don’t have an extreme important use, but they are a special bird to aboriginal people because they are super high in protein. Quail birds are not commonly used because they have been replaced by more common birds like crows. The way of hunting has changed from long ago because developed technology is being invented. Long ago retrieving lines were used to hunt because they were quiet and wouldn’t disturb the wildlife but now gun shots are being released to catch these Quail birds. Big guns are not necessary because these birds like to stay on lower grounds. Quail is very common towards first nation communities, but it is spread further then BC, one location that hunts for Quail more commonly then BC is Japan. The community is called the Ainu people which are Japanese aboriginals. These groups of people were recently discovered to be the aboriginal group of Japan because they were scare of getting judged and discriminated. Many tribes are severely into hunting and that is why most of the hunting for birds like Quails still continue now a days because hunting is tradition to them, my family finds their food in grocery stores and that’s what most people chose instead of hunting because it's not a tradition to them and it takes les patience. The way hunting is done in BC is sustainable because hunting for birds doesn’t damage the land nor other animals, the only disturbing factor is the loud noises from gunshots. 8 Citations: Title: Effects of weather combines with habitat to impact Quail numbers: Paragraph # Source 1:( Link) https://quailforever.org/Habitat/Why-Habitat/Quail-Facts/Effects-ofWeather.aspx Vincent, Howard. “/Default.aspx.” Quailforever.org, 2018, quailforever.org/Habitat/WhyHabitat/Quail-Facts/Effects-of-Weather.aspx. https://quailforever.org/Habitat/WhyHabitat/Quail-Facts/Effects-of-Weather.aspx Title: Scaled Quail Identification ▪ Source#2:(Link) https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Scaled_Quail/id Citations: Aston, Dianna. “Scaled Quail Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.” , All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Mar. 2017, www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Scaled_Quail/id. Title: Where and When Do Quails Nest? ▪ Source 3: (Link) https://animals.mom.me/quails-nest-4742.html Jauregui, Ruth de. “Where & When Do Quails Nest?” Animals.mom.com, Sky Media , 11 Aug. 2017, animals.mom.me/quails-nest-4742.html. Title: Life cycle of Quail. ▪ Source 4: (Link) https://www.cuteness.com/article/life-cycle-quail Banks, David. “Life Cycle of a Quail: Cuteness.” Cuteness.com, 2017, www.cuteness.com/article/lifecycle-quail. Title: Quail. ▪ Source 5: (Link) http://www.animalresearch.info/en/designing-research/researchanimals/quail/ 9 Fraser, Bronner. “Quail: Ari.info.” Ari.info, 2014, www.animalresearch.info/en/designingresearch/research-animals/quail/. Title: Hunting and fishing: ▪ Source 6: (Link) http://wludh.ca/dh100/2015/AusAs/Ainu/2015/12/10/hunting-and-fishing/ Feuerherm, Karljürgen. “Hunting and Fishing.” Ainu, William W. Fitzhugh, 2014, wludh.ca/dh100/2015/AusAs/Ainu/2015/12/10/hunting-and-fishing/. 10