How long did it take for those quail to trust being around you? I have a covey that visits my yard every day (also big fans of bird seed), but they're scared of me and take off as soon as they see me.
We've been at this for over 7 yrs. Definitely each generation is becoming less and less fearful, but they are still rather panicky. One thing about this video - its shot through a window and it was a cold day when the quail were so hungry, they overcame their fear of us.
When we are outdoors, we have to move VERY slowly and talk in a quiet tone, but they're still fearful and likely to fly off. That's why we call them our little chickens!
@deborahhon Oh, and we live in a built-up rural-ish area, where the covey must, every day, deal with peoples' fences, crossing a road or two, and avoiding peoples' pets. Maybe this forces them to be less fearful? Oh, and, since these quail have always living among peoples' homes, they've also never known any hunting. (We learned that they're here in this neighborhood because someone from Quail Unlimited, who lives nearby, has bred them and released them.)
How long did it take for those quail to trust being around you? I have a covey that visits my yard every day (also big fans of bird seed), but they're scared of me and take off as soon as they see me.
deborahhon 4 months ago
@deborahhon - Ooops, sorry to take so long!
We've been at this for over 7 yrs. Definitely each generation is becoming less and less fearful, but they are still rather panicky. One thing about this video - its shot through a window and it was a cold day when the quail were so hungry, they overcame their fear of us.
When we are outdoors, we have to move VERY slowly and talk in a quiet tone, but they're still fearful and likely to fly off. That's why we call them our little chickens!
DesertRavenGrrrl 2 months ago
@deborahhon Oh, and we live in a built-up rural-ish area, where the covey must, every day, deal with peoples' fences, crossing a road or two, and avoiding peoples' pets. Maybe this forces them to be less fearful? Oh, and, since these quail have always living among peoples' homes, they've also never known any hunting. (We learned that they're here in this neighborhood because someone from Quail Unlimited, who lives nearby, has bred them and released them.)
DesertRavenGrrrl 2 months ago