The Lonely Quail

A few Californian Quail visit us occasionally, they are not at all common but two or three take up residence each year. They don’t seem to increase in numbers, perhaps because of predators – I saw a cream-coloured ferret down the paddock the other day but it got away due the delay of unlocking my rifle! It is not only predators though, quail don’t look after their chicks well. Well, that’s according to Bert who used to buy clutches of eggs and set them under a bantam. The little buggers run off and die in the long grass, he reckoned. It was he who released them into the wild around here.

We hear them before we see them, ‘Ki kuu ku!’ Is a call they often use to keep in touch with each other. I like to think when they start calling and I answer them (sounding nothing like their call) they call back and we have quite a lengthy conversation. But that’s not their only verbalisation, they chatter and cluck away to each other as well.

They are timid little birds, and they feed on our lawn, but when they are alarmed or see us, they run off at great speed! If threated they will fly off as well. They have a single note call, ‘Kuu!’ which seems to be a call they us to find another bird, perhaps a mate. They will fly to a high point to call and to listen for a reply. It is a plaintive call, and if you know why, it is a bit sad.

Recently there has been that plaintive call around our house because a quail has taken up residence behind the glasshouse. We can see it from the kitchen window and we thought it was trying to hide there, but failing because we could see the rear one third of its body! It comes out to peck at grass but doesn’t seem very interested in the grain I tossed down for it. Other birds soon scoff it! I poked my head around the corner of the other end of the glasshouse and called, ‘Kuk, kuk, kuk.’ And the bird came very close, then darted away to the other end – confused I think.

My old forestry crone, Barry called, and I asked him what he knew about quail, ‘I know their breast meat is tasty!’ was his laconic reply. We then discussed if this particular bird was a male or a female, and he thought, female, but a Google search revealed it is male with his larger top-knot and black cheeks. Barry too enjoyed watching his antics as he hid, then came out to feed, caught sight of us through the window, and ran back behind the glasshouse to show us his one-third behind.

I’ve come to the conclusion that our quail is lonely, and sits behind the glasshouse to admire his reflection, thinking it’s another of his kind, company if you like. So what should I do? The chances of him finding a companion, and better still, a mate, would be improved if he kept moving. Behind the glasshouse is not so safe because stoats, ferrets and cats do occasionally slip past the end of my rifle barrel.

I decided not to chase him away, nor to mask the glass from reflecting. I feel sorry for him though. Even mowing the lawn close to him, didn’t faze him, he remained, but his food supply is not quite so good now. For the past three days he has flown to the top of the water tank to call out, and then returned to the glasshouse. But as I type, he trotted past my window and flew to the top of an archway where a Clematis climbs. He called there for maybe ten minutes, and then trotted off towards the shrubbery. I hear him still in the distance.

It will be interesting to see if he returns by morning.