Facts on Quails for Kids

The quail is an animal native to North America. Once plentiful, the animal has been hunted and is now low in numbers in its native woodland areas. Since the animal is a ground dweller and easy to capture, many people use the meat for food and the feathers for decorations. Facts for kids on quails are simple facts, such as colors and habitat information.

The quail is a bird; the plural of quail is quail. There are 130 types of quail worldwide. The quail resembles the partridge, but quail are smaller. Their tails are short and some varieties have a head plume, which children will notice immediately. Some species have heel spurs, which can be explained to students as a bone spike used for protection.

Children will next notice the various colors on the quail. Quail come in a range of colors, depending on the variety of bird. Browns, grays and whites are common among the quail; however, some male species have vibrant reds and blues. The children will be curious about the colors, and the class will be interested in learning why the birds have different colors. A lesson in bird colors relates to a lesson in bird habitats.

Quail live on the ground and prefer bushy areas and open spaces. The nests are often made within bushes near the ground. North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia are all home to these migratory birds. Children will enjoy viewing pictures and recreating the habitats of the birds. Migration and reasons for migration in birds are also reviewed during this unit on quail.

Quail are vegetarians. Eating mostly seeds and berries, a hungry quail will eat leaves, roots or some small insects. Students can also learn which berries are eaten by which quail, since the range of the quail is worldwide. Some quail have been imported successfully to other areas of the world, so adjustments to diet were necessary. Students will also learn how the quail adjusts to such changes and how the diet of the imported quail differs from the native cousins.