Japanese Quails don't fly

[Poultry4Health]

Strange topic? Yes, I was told that these quails can't fly,atleast the domesticated ones. I tried today on my quails purchased from different sources and yea they can hardly fly a foot or so, even can't land slowly when released from 3-4 foot height, they land and rollover.All are over 3 months old. I opened them in my lawn gland they started roaming about.Not fast runners even.

 

[CCUK]

Strange topic? Yes, I was told that these quails can't fly,atleast the domesticated ones. I tried today on my quails purchased from different sources and yea they can hardly fly a foot or so, even can't land slowly when released from 3-4 foot height, they land and rollover.All are over 3 months old. I opened them in my lawn gland they started roaming about.Not fast runners even.

They can fly believe me! I have lost two that disappeared over the fence when I was not careful cleaning them out. They don't fly for long distances but far enough to escape danger. They go straight up and across. Quite funny to watch but not if it's yours and it's just escaped. It does seem that they defy gravity but once they realise they can fly they will!

 

[feedman77]

Mine (cotournix) fly quite well when they want to.

They don't compare to bobs in flight range though

 

[TwoCrows]

Flying takes great muscle strength. If you were to keep your birds in an aviary or flight pen style housing, they would practice enough to become great flyers. Birds kept in small pens or cages never develop the muscle to fly, or at least fly well. Quail can become very powerful flyers if given the opportunity!

 

[lomine]

Mine are in a modified dog run so they have a lot of head room. I think it's 30 ft long. They can fly from one end to the other without much difficulty but they still prefer to run for cover.

 

[wildone]

mine can definitely fly. i opened their coop one day, and out went my rooster. when i was chasing down my runaway bird, i had the persistent thought of "pop goes the weasle". they really do just go straight up and across.

 

[JaeG]

Yup, I too lost one over the tall fence, into the bush on the neighbour's property. He was a spare male so I though, "oh well". A few days later I went out the back door to find him sitting in the backyard. He was quite happy to be caught and returned to his friends (and food).

 

[Poultry4Health]

They can fly believe me! I have lost two that disappeared over the fence when I was not careful cleaning them out. They don't fly for long distances but far enough to escape danger. They go straight up and across. Quite funny to watch but not if it's yours and it's just escaped. It does seem that they defy gravity but once they realise they can fly they will!

Ohhhhh.That's funny and dangerous.

 

[007Sean]

@TwoCrows is absolutely correct. Given the space to exercise their muscles, they can fly extremely far and very well. Most quail perfer to run, especially Blue Scale quail, they have been known to run birddogs to death.

 

[BobDBirdDog]

I raised a few cots with my Bobwhites just as teasers for my dogs. Setting them loose to free range and lay down scent was the primary objective and I gave them 2 weeks to adjust to the wild. While they were pen raised birds, they were in the flight pen but rarely did they ever take advantage of the openess and excercise thier wings as to build any flight muscles.
That is to say they are a ground bird and rarely fly, unlike the Bobwhite which is also a ground bird but are strong flyers by nature. From what I have seen, heard and read, the majority of cot/Japs/Egypt/paroha species are known for not flying and/or not flying well, not flying any long distances, or at great heights, less any landings are usually crash landings.
The ones I turned loose (somewhat 2 weeks wild) only made one slow uncoordinated flight (under the pressure of the dogs) they raised up into the air about 3 feet and crash landed 25 feet away and were cought by the dogs. Some never landed before my dogs cought them.

2 weeks is bare minimum and hardly time for any bird to learn flight or build muscles, but it does prove they can fly. Theoretically Most birds with any good amount of wing, muscle and feathers can fly, just some better than others. It depends more on the circumstances of Threat in this case though! If there is no threat, then many of them will never (or rarely) take flight as to build the needed muscle and coordinations. As 007Sean and TwoCrow stated..... we all 3 seem to concur.