Coturnix (Japanese quail, Coturnix japonica) are the domesticated quail — apple-weight birds (~4–6 oz standard; jumbos typically 10–14 oz) that mature in 6–8 weeks, lay 200–300 eggs a year, and come in a wide range of feather varieties.
The bird behind essentially all backyard quail-keeping is Coturnix japonica — the Japanese quail — domesticated across centuries into a small, calm, remarkably productive animal. When a feed store or hatchery says "quail" without qualification, this is the bird.
The spec sheet: a standard adult runs about four to six ounces (the AnAge database logs wild-type at 115 grams), with selectively bred jumbo lines typically reaching ten to fourteen. Sexual maturity lands at six to eight weeks; AnAge's figures are ~52 days for males and ~63 for females. Hens produce 200–300 eggs a year at peak. Lifespan runs two to three years typically. Temperament: docile, handleable, widely recommended as the child-friendly quail. No common backyard bird goes from hatch to first egg faster, which is the appeal — and the emotional fine print.
What Coturnix are not: bobwhite — the New World native raised for hunting and conservation release — or button quail (the tiny aviary bird), or the wild western species (California, Gambel's). Different species, different rules: bobwhite incubate a week longer, need drier settings, mature far slower, and often require game-bird permits that Coturnix don't. Everything unlabeled in these guides is Coturnix; where a figure is species-specific, the species is named.
How the varieties organize: Coturnix "breeds" are really one bird in many coats — feather varieties (the color guide) crossed with a size axis (standard vs jumbo) crossed with one famous egg-color gene (celadon) that has nothing to do with feathers at all. Husbandry is identical across all of them; the differences are appearance, sexing method, and grams.
Choosing your first birds: for eggs, any healthy standard or jumbo line. Pattern varieties (Pharaoh-type) buy you feather sexing at three weeks, a genuine beginner convenience. For meat weight, jumbos. For the blue-egg party trick, celadon lines. For all three at once: that's how quail math starts.
FAQ
Are Coturnix legal where game birds are regulated?
Usually the least regulated quail — domesticated and non-native, so typically outside wildlife-agency permitting that covers bobwhite. Verify locally; the framework.
Coturnix vs "Japanese quail" vs "Pharaoh" — same bird?
Same species throughout; "Pharaoh" is the wild-type brown color of that species. Naming in this hobby is enthusiastic rather than systematic.
Can different varieties live together?
Freely — they're one species and interbreed accordingly, which is how breeders build (and accidentally scramble) color lines.