What color is my quail? There are potentially dozens of color related genes in coturnix quail and thousands of potential combinations, few of which have been thoroughly studied or understood but they can be broken down into a few basic ‘families’ or groups and you can hopefully narrow it down from there. Breeding results or buying birds from known lines are the best way to be sure, but with a basic understanding you can at least start to get an idea what color your particular bird is. Links are provided to the best photographs and genetic descriptors I could find, links are not an endorsement of any particular breeder or operation. All information is subject to change and much is unverified outside hobby breeders and enthusiasts. Genetic lines may differ in Europe or Australia as well, this information is US based. I didn’t include obscure, highly lethal, publicly unavailable, or difficult to distinguish colors and variations.
Terminology (in this article or used in reference to common types of quail):
- Locus: a particular spot on a chromosome where a certain gene resides, cannot have more than 2 copies even if multiple genes share the same locus
- Homozygous: two copies of the same gene
- Heterozygous: one copy of a particular gene
- Incompletely Dominant: gene is partially expressed with one copy or competes with another gene for expression
- Dominant: the gene is fully expressed with one copy
- Recessive: two copies are required for full expression
- Sex-linked Recessive: a female bird only needs one copy for expression as she can only have one copy (opposite of mammals)
- Autosomal: not a sex-linked gene, not located on the sex chromosomes
- E Locus: home to Extended Brown, Sparkly, American Pansy and Redhead Genes and can have a maximum of 2 total, so can be homozygous for one, or heterozygous for two separate genes but never homozygous for one when any other gene is present.
- Y Locus: home to calico and fawn genes
- Celadon: lays blue eggs, not related to feather colors, recessive
- Jumbo: bird reaches 10 oz by 10 weeks of age, not color related
- Fee: carries at least one copy of the Fee Gene
Base colors (basic pattern and color):
- Pharoah/Wild Type: coturnix in its natural form, just a plain old quail with no exciting genes.
- Fawn/Italian: Italian (heterozygous), Manchurian (homozygous), Y Locus, yellowish bird with some black barring, red face in males, dominant over wild type.
- Extended Brown (EB): dark brown bird with dark feather barring, Rosetta (heterozyous) and Tibetan (homozygous, black feet), E Locus, dominant over wild and fawn.
Recessive Base/Pattern Genes (unique base-type patterns in homozygous birds):
- American Pansy: E Locus, homozygous to show pattern, also “chocolate pansy,” separate from and dominant to pansy/redhead gene, black and white “laced” pattern on feathers with some brown or red, male has red head
- Pansy: faint in heterozygous form, also called Redhead or Ropfkof, E locus, white or yellow base feathers with black blotches and possibly red, “calico cat” coloration
Incompletely Dominant Dilution Genes (birds are grayscale or black and white coloration):
- Andalusion: homozygous form can be lethal, grayish bird, possible white wings and base color visible in patches, incomplete dominance, similar to silver and blau.
- Blau (Blue): homozygous white or cream bird, heterozygous blue/grey shades but beige if over fawn, no base color bleed or white wings, no lethality issues, incomplete dominance. Article picture is Blau EB.
- Fee: incomplete dominance, homozygous more obvious than heterozygous, dilutes red but spares black making bird grayscale, black, white (Falb fee (in pharoah), pearl fee (in Italian), grau fee (in EB)).
- Silver: homozygous can be lethal, gray tones, possible white wings, incomplete dominance.
Pattern Genes (affect lines, bars etc. but base pattern is recognizable):
- Calico: wider lines less patterning, only significant on pharoah in homozygous form, has increased black striping and wide cream/yellow patches, faint or no effect in heterozygous form or on EB, same locus as Fawn so never homozygous.
- Sparkly: increased black patterning, incomplete dominance, same locus as EB.
Sex-linked* Recessive Color Modifiers (hens only need 1 copy!*):
- Ginger*: doesn’t change pattern, just makes bird an orangy red color.
- Cinnamon*: light tan birds, red eyes, may be slower growing or light sensitive.
- Roux*: turns bird reddish, (Egyptian (in pharoah), autumn amber (in fawn), scarlet/range (in Rosetta/Tibetan).
- OZ Snowy: autosomal recessive, sandy color birds in pharoah, EB unknown effect, cream colored in fawn, may have some lethality issues, all birds need 2 copies.
White (separate from base colors, varying genes and combos and effects):
- Dotted White: tuxedo in heterozygous, all white with a dot on head in homozygous, also called Texas A&M, English white
- White Wing Pied: usually white wings in heterozygous from, varying white/tuxedo in homozygous form
- Other white genes: Splash, progressive pied, white crescent, white bib, panda, often mixed with other white genes and hard to know exactly which!
Collections/Combos not true colors (not a specific gene but birds bred for multigenetic color traits, usually breed true within population with occasional misfits):
- Dark and Stormy
- Cosmos
- German Pastel
- Schofield Silver: caution with potential andalusion/silver homozygous crosses, may contain lavender as well as blau
- Black: multiple genes involved, breed true to each other, original line had health issues but outcrossing has improved the line (TOF/SW Gamebirds), it is not grau fee or recessive black
- Many birds can express both fee and roux, both are widely distributed.
- There can be significant natural variation even within birds of the same genetic make-up.
- Silver/andalusian/blau can be impossible to tell apart as well as which white gene(s) a particular bird carries.
- Look for horses, not zebras, if something is recessive or rare, you probably don’t have it unless you ordered ‘mixed eggs’ from a breeder with that particular line, if so, look through their lines for inspiration or ask if their birds carry X.
- Many multigenetic combos haven’t been well documented, what’s an American Pansy Roux Fee look like?
- If you really want to know, careful breeding of your bird to some clean boring old pharoah birds might give you an inkling
- Document what you find, resources are hard to find, especially day old chick pictures!
- Or just enjoy your unique color and get on with your life!
