#619: Quail

Quail is the name given to two Genera of birds within the gamebird family. They are generally then divided into the Old World Quail of Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia and the New World Quail of the Americas. This cheeky fellow, a Californian Quail, hails from the New World Genus. All are stocky and medium-sized birds that favour a territorial existence, although are capable of flight. Many are social, relying on group size to help protect from predation. A number of species have been domesticated for their eggs and also their meat.

#609: Ptarmigan

The Ptarmigan are three species of Grouse who make their home in tundra or cold upland areas. He is a hardy vegetarian, with chicks feeding on insects. This Willow Ptamigan feeds predominantly on willows: leaves, buds and catkins. In the winter months, most species (excluding the Red Grouse, a subspecies of the Willow) moult out their browner plumage in favour of white, allowing them to camouflage against their snowy environment. The male Willow Ptarmigan's wattles, usually indistinct above his eyes, turn a vivid red in the breeding season, a stark contrast to his bright head. Males gather together in breeding areas, setting up and defending their territories in preparation for the arrival of the females. Here he courts his potential mate, and forms a (more-or-less) monogamous relationship.

Creature Feature #584: Pheasant

Colouring-in has recently suffered a resurgence in popularity, for adults, thanks to mindfulness and also it's amazing relaxation effect. Now, this is one trend I most whole-heartedly support, because it's something I've been doing for years. My "day job", for example consists almost exclusively of social interactions and customer service, which leaves me drained and anti-social by the end of the day. I relax by sketching, inking and colouring. Whilst I am inclined to argue that my favourite part of the process is actually the initial pencilwork (provided I can get it look more-or-less right on the 2nd or 3rd attempt), too many people are quick to brush away such hobbies with phrases like "I can't draw", but no-one ever says "I can't colour". I mean, pre-schoolers colour, after all.

So here, because this evening I felt like sketching rather than colouring, is the line-art for a Golden Pheasant. It's a large image, a PNG, and I haven't even watermarked it so, if you wish, you can save him, print him off and perhaps you might like to colour him in yourself. If you do, please feel free to drop me an email with a scanned image: lemurkat@gmail.com

I shall colour him in tomorrow, or perhaps the next day. Or, perhaps this week I shall upload every image as line-art, thus allowing you, the viewer, to assist me in my Animal-a-Day project.

Pheasants are another member of the Gamebird family, which for some reason has a lot of members starting with the letter P. They are characterised by the male's long, train-like tail feathers (unlike the peacock's train, which is not his tail) and his general overall gaudy plumage. Which you can't see here (yet), because this Golden Pheasant is currently only lineart. Some species also sport wattles, crests and other adornments. Females are generally pretty drab in colouration - a neccesity as she must remain camouflaged while she incubates her eggs. Pheasants are quite popular in aviculture and also hunted for sport. The most widely recognised is the Common (or Ringneck) Pheasant from Europe, which is not nearly as pretty as this Asian fellow above. There are quite a few species, spread across the northern hemisphere and introduced as ferals to the southern.

Creature Feature #575: Peafowl

No tarantula, sorry. You'll have to wait until "T".

The Peafowl are three species of gamefowl, characterised by the eye-catching colouration and elaborate plumes of the male. The most commonly known species, the Indian Peafowl, has been domesticated and can be found in wildlife parks across the world. Peafowl practise a polygamous mating system, and during breeding season the male raises his plumes, spreading them in a fan-like shape. This cannot fail to capture the female's eye. Outside of the breeding season, he sheds these feathers. Despite their ungainly appearance, Peafowl are skilled fliers, and frequently roost in the trees to escape predation.

Creature Feature #569: Partridge

The Patridge is a gamebird, halfway in size between the quail and the pheasant. There are various species, found naturally through Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. This fellow is a Red-legged Patridge. He leads a terrestrial existence, foraging for seeds and only taking flight when disturbed. Nests are build on the ground, and chicks are precocious, able to leave the nest within a few hours of hatching.