We have spent over a decade tracing the Natural History of Button Quail
through such sources as The University of China.
Button Quail are classified as Excalfactoria chinensis and are not, in
fact, Button Quail at all. Neither are they, according to our findings,
"Chinese Painted Quail" as previously thought. They are "Chinese Blue
Breasted Quail".
Apparently the little quail we now know as "Button Quail" first became popular in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. European Tourists visiting China first took notice of them in bamboo cages that hung in the gardens near the entrance of Chinese homes. When they inquired about the tiny birds they were told they were Chinese Blue Breasted Quail and those who cared for them were bestowed with good fortune. With their tiny size, endearing personalities, delightful calls and the promise of good luck, tourists readily bought them and took them home to put in their garden aviaries.
It is believed that sometime around the early 1900’s the English began calling them "Chinese Painted Quail". That era was the time of Great Safaris, adventure and buzz names. Our little quail most likely picked up the name "Chinese Painted Quail" because they somewhat resemble the "Painted Quail" (Excalfactoria adansonii) found in Africa. There is also a likeness to the Indian Painted Quail (Perdicula asiatica). It was in the early 1940’s that the little quail picked up the title of "Button Quail". This was believed to have been a nick name generated by the American soldiers who first saw them in The European Aviaries at that time.
The Americans reported that they were "Cute as a button and about the size of a coat button when first hatched". It was then, that the quail, along with it’s new name was introduced to America. The name "Button Quail" stuck and quickly spread throughout the world.. but there was a problem... The true species known as Button Quail make up 15 species of the order Guriformes, family Turnicidae and genus Turnix. To further confuse the issue, the birds of this species, known as Button Quail are not really quail at all.
True "Button Quail" are easily distinguished from our little Blue Breasted "Button Quail" (Excalfactoria chinensis) and all other species of quail. Our little quail and other types of quail have three toes that point forward and one that points back. True "Button Quail" are hemopodes (Greek word meaning half-foot). They have three toes that point forward, but lack the hind toe. The true "Button Quail" (Turnix) differ also in that the male (which by the way is less colorful than the female in this species), incubates the eggs after being courted by the female. True "Button Quail" are found in Africa, Asia, India, Sri Lanka and Australia.
The natural habitat of our little "Blue Breasted Quail" (Excalfactoria chinensis) is China. They are found predominately in the providence’s of Fukein, Kwangsi, S.E. Yunnan, and Hainan, where it inhabits the grasslands and shrubby areas.
In proportion to their size, they consume quite a great deal of water so they prefer to nest close to a source of water, such as rice fields and streams. It is found at fairly low elevations (between sea level and 4, 000 feet).
In the wild The Blue Breasted Quail feed on various types of grass seeds, small beetles, ants, larva and tender shoots of grass. They are terrestrial birds, which means that they spend all their time on the ground and fly upward for short distances only when frightened.
(Excerpts taken from my soon to be published book: A Closer Look at Button Quail.