Why is my button quail growling?

Question

Six button quail in a converted cabinet indoors. One of them has started making a low growling noise, a few seconds of something like a tiny motor revving or…

growl_then_crow · Accepted Answer

You have a male, and you have described his call exactly. The growl and then the run of crows is the male button quail pattern: a low rumbling few seconds, then a series of higher louder notes. Hens make softer chirps and calls and do not produce that combination.

So whoever sold you six hens sold you five. The growl is one of the easier ways to sex them, and it is more reliable than looking at a young bird.

one_male_three_hens · Answer

He is calling for a mate and probably announcing territory, and a male without hens of his own calls a great deal more. Longer days and warmth push it up, which is also why a lot of us notice the males going quiet as autumn comes in.

If the noise is a problem indoors, the usual answer is to give him hens: one male with several females is how most people house them, and a settled male calls much less than a frustrated one.

Why is my button quail growling?

3 answers