If you have never seen a Chinese Painted Quail in person, prepare to be surprised.
They are real birds. They are fully grown. And they are smaller than a £1 coin when they hatch.
The Chinese Painted Quail - also known as the Button Quail, the King Quail, or by its scientific name Coturnix chinensis - is the world's smallest true quail, and one of the most captivating birds you can keep on a smallholding or in an aviary. Here is everything you need to know about them.
The Chinese Painted Quail is one of the smallest quail species in the world. It is native to Asia — from China and India through Southeast Asia and down into northern Australia - and has been kept in captivity in Europe for well over 150 years. In the western world, painted quail were first imported into England in 1870.
Despite the common name "Button Quail," this is technically a misnomer. The true button quail are members of the family Turnicidae and are morphologically and behaviourally different from Chinese Painted Quail, although their geographic ranges overlap. The names Button Quail and King Quail are widely used in the UK pet and aviculture trade and refer to the same bird. They are ground-dwelling birds - they do not perch - and in the wild they live in grasslands, scrub and open woodland, feeding on seeds and small insects at ground level.
Males reach around 4.5 inches in length, with females slightly larger at around 5 inches. As adults they weigh approximately 40-50g - comparable to a large chocolate egg. A standard Coturnix quail is three to four times heavier. Newly hatched chicks are even more remarkable. They hatch smaller than a large marble and are immediately mobile - running around the incubator within minutes of hatching. The coin-beside-the-chick comparison photograph we took at our smallholding is not a trick of perspective. They really are that small.
The "Painted" in their name is well earned. Wild-type males have rich, intricate plumage - warm browns, deep rusts, creamy whites and black - with a striking black and white bib under the chin. In wild-type birds, the males are more colourful and have a black and white bib, while females are more subtly coloured with speckled brown plumage that provides natural camouflage. Over generations of captive breeding, a number of colour mutations have emerged - silver, white, red-breasted and blue-faced among the most established. The wild-type remains the most striking and the most commonly kept in the UK.
Chinese Painted Quail are active, curious birds with a surprisingly bold character for their size. They settle well in a calm environment and can become reasonably tame over time — more so than Coturnix quail, which tend to remain flighty.
They are best kept in pairs or small groups. A single male with one or two females is the most practical arrangement. Males can be territorial with one another, particularly in a confined space.
Stressed Chinese Painted Quail show clear behavioural signals - pacing, excessive calling or feather loss are all signs that something in the environment needs attention. A calm, stable setup makes a significant difference to their wellbeing.
In good conditions, Chinese Painted Quail live for 3-5 years - longer than Coturnix quail, which typically live 2-3 years. Their small size does not mean they are fragile once established, though they do require more careful management as chicks.
Chinese Painted Quail are not the right choice for everyone, and it is worth being honest about that.
They are a good choice if:
They may not be the right choice if:
| Header | Chinese Painted Quail | Coturnix Quail |
|---|---|---|
| Adult weight | 40-50g | 150-200g |
| Egg production | 50-100 per year | 250-300 per year |
| Incubation period | 16 days | 17-18 days |
| Primary purpose | Aviary, breeding, pets | Eggs, meat, pets |
| Beginner friendly | Moderate | Yes |
| Lifespan | 3-5 years | 2-3 years |
| Licence required UK | No | No |
No. Chinese Painted Quail are legal to keep, breed and sell in the UK without any special licence or permit. No registration is required for small-scale private keeping. If you intend to sell eggs or birds commercially, standard food business registration may apply - contact your local council for guidance.
We have recently welcomed Chinese Painted Quail to our smallholding in Atherstone, Warwickshire. Our first chicks hatched this month and the experience has been one of the most rewarding things we have done on the farm.
We will be sharing more about their care, housing, incubation and availability in future posts - including a full care guide and a detailed comparison with our Coturnix and Celadon quail.
If you would like to be notified when hatching eggs or birds become available, please get in touch via our contact page.