Hillview Exotics

The Barbary Partridge is native to North Africa, Gibraltar and the Canary Islands. It is closely related to its western European equivalent, the Red-legged Partridge.

The Barbary Partridge is a rotund bird, with a grey-brown back, grey breast and buff belly. The face is light grey with a broad reddish-brown gorget. It has reddish-brown-streaked white flanks and red legs. When disturbed, it prefers to run rather than fly, but if necessary it will fly a short distance.

The breeding season is normally April through September and the hen lays an average of 10-16 eggs, which incubate for about 24 days.

The Grey Partridge, also known as the English Partridge, Hungarian Partridge or Hun is native to most of Europe and western Asia. It is a non-migratory terrestrial species, which forms flocks outside the breeding season.

The Grey Partridge is a rotund bird, brown-backed, with grey flanks and chest. The belly is white, usually marked with a large chestnut-brown horse-shoe mark. The only major difference between the sexes is the so-called cross of Lorraine on the tertiary coverts of females – these being marked with two transverse bars, as opposed to the one in males and appears around 16 weeks of age. When disturbed it will fly short distances but prefers to run if possible.

Hens lay up to 20 eggs from April to September, which incubate for about 24 days. The young in particular need an essential protein supply.

The Blue Eared Pheasant, is a large, dark blue-grey pheasant with velvet black crown, red bare facial skin, yellow iris, long white ear coverts behind the eyes and crimson legs. Distinctive and easily identified, its tail of twenty-four elongated bluish grey feathers is curved, loose and dark-tipped. Both sexes are similar with slightly larger male.

The Blue Eared Pheasant is found throughout mountain forests of central China. The diet consists mainly of berries and vegetables. Sexes are similar, but can be distinguished by looking at the spur. The spurs on the males are larger and round. The female's are much smaller and are oblong in shape. The spurs will begin to be noticeable at about four months of age.

Blue Eared are the most commonly seen Eared-Pheasant in captivity. They breed from April through June. Hens lay 6 to 12 eggs which incubate for about 26 days.

The Blue Eared Pheasant will become quite tame in captivity. A point to note is they have large, heavy bills that are used for digging. They will quickly destroy all plant life and till the soil looking for grubs, insects and roots. They are sensitive to dampness, so it is important to place their pens on well-drained ground, or place several inches of sand on the floor. Also due to their digging, it is wise to worm your Eared Pheasants often.

Since this species is from the mountainous areas, cold weather is not a problem for them, but do make sure they have access to shelter during severe winter storms and shade from extreme heat. Be sure to supplement greens, tubers, nuts, dog kibble and wild bird seed-mix in addition to their regular diet.

The Golden Pheasant or "Chinese Pheasant" is native to forests in mountainous areas of western China. Well known and easily cared for, these make good first pheasants for beginners. The adult male’s tail accounts for two-thirds of the total length. It is unmistakable with its golden crest and rump and bright red body. The deep orange "cape" can be spread in display, appearing as an alternating black and orange fan that covers all of the face except its bright yellow eye, with a pinpoint black pupil.

The female is a much duller mottled brown plumage similar to that of the female Common Pheasant. She is darker and more slender than the hen of that species, with a proportionately longer tail. The female's breast and sides are barred buff and blackish brown, and the abdomen is plain buff. She has a buff face and throat. Lower legs and feet are a dull yellow.

Day foragers and night roosters, they prefer to run but if startled they can suddenly burst upwards at great speed. Golden Pheasants lay 8-12 eggs at a time and will then incubate these for around 22-23 days. There are several color mutations of the Golden Pheasant including the Dark-throated, Yellow, Cinnamon, Salmon, Red, and Snowflake. Golden are usually kept in three’s for four’s to form small groups. They are closely related to the Lady Amherst and will cross breed if not kept separate.

The Kalij Pheasant, found all along the foothills of the Himalaya in a number of local populations with variations. They are also found (though somewhat rare) in the Islands of Hawaii.

Nepal Kalij is often seen in captivity, but they are not as popular due to their rather drab plumage. Males have a dark and short crest. The white-fringed feathers of the lower back and rump are narrow and on the mantle, there should be little or no gray edging to the feathers. Hens are generally darker and the gray borders of the feathers more noticeable.

The breeding season is from May to July and hens usually lay 6 to 9 eggs, which incubate for about 22 days.

Native to China, Lady Amherst is another very beautiful and popular aviary bird. It is unmistakable with its black and silver head, long grey tail and rump, and red, blue, white and yellow body plumage. The "cape" can be raised in display and his tail can grow as much as 3 feet in total length. The female is a much duller mottled brown plumage all over, similar to that of the female Common Pheasant but with finer barring.

This species is closely related to the Golden Pheasant and the two will interbreed. Care and breeding is much the same as the Golden. Non-aggressive, and can be kept with other bird species. They can be kept in pairs or in small groups consisting of one male and two or three hens. Amherst are hardy, and easy to keep, and are another excellent choice for the beginner.

Clutches consist of 6-10 eggs they are incubated for about 24 days. Amherst chicks are not difficult to raise.

The Reeve’s Pheasant is native to China. The male is a brightly plumaged bird with a scaled golden white and red body plumage, grey legs, brown iris and red skin around eye. The head is white with a black narrow band across its eyes. The male has an extremely long silvery white tail barred with chestnut brown.

This spectacular pheasant is mentioned in the Guinness World Records for having the longest natural tail feather of any bird species; it can measure up to 8 feet long. The female is a brown bird with blackish crown, buff face and grey brown barred tail feathers.

Reaves’s Pheasants are known to be aggressive towards humans, animals and other pheasants. They like higher ground and are hardy birds, being able to withstand heat and cold. They are a prized bird and fairly common in aviculture. A clutch of 7-14 eggs are laid in April or May and incubated for 24-25 days.

The Common Pheasant, also known as the Ring-necked Pheasant, is a bird native to Asia. The adult male has a long brown streaked black tail; the body plumage is barred bright gold and brown with green, purple and white markings. The head is bottle green with a small crest and distinctive red wattles. Like with most gamebirds, the female is a duller mottled brown plumage all over with small red markings on the face.

There are many color mutations of the Common Pheasant. Two of the most commonly seen mutations are the Melanistic Ring-neck and White Ring-neck, which is not the same species as the Alaskan Snow Pheasant. The White Ring-neck is nearly all white with some brown speckles within the white feathering and red wattles. The Melanistic Ring-neck comes in several colors such as Blue, Green and Black. The Black mutation is actually a very dark green, blue and brown (nearly iridescent) color pattern, which can be seen, in direct sunlight. From a distance and at times of indirect sunlight, the pheasant will appear to be black.

Breeding season is from February to June. Hens lay an average of 6 to 12 eggs, which incubate for 25 days. Ring-necks do best in a run with plenty of ground cover. Many breeders use old tree branches as roosts for the birds and will plant live bushes or ornamental grass in the run for the birds to remain calmer than in an open run.

The Silver Pheasant is native to the mountain forests of Southeast Asia. With its bare red facial skin, red legs, glossy black below and white, long, patterned tail and black dropping crest on its crown. At least two years is needed to attain full male plumage. The female is an olive brown with black-tipped crest.

Silver are among the first birds to begin laying sometimes as early as late February and slowing down in May. They usually have a clutch of 6 to 15 eggs, which incubate for 26 to 27 days.

Great for first time pheasant beginners they are a beautiful and majestic breed. Males have a reputation of being aggressive towards their keepers and hens. They are extremely tough and hardy. It is recommended to allow the hens to go broody, as they are great mothers. The chicks do grow quickly and are able to fly at only a few days.

Swinhoe Pheasant is native to Taiwan. The male is a large spectacular bird, boasting a glossy dark blue to black plumage with highlights of metallic blue, green and maroon; and a bold and distinctive pattern of white patches on the upper back, crest and long central tail feathers. The shoulders are a dark maroon, and crimson-red legs and face wattles. The female, as is typical with pheasant species, is a dark brown barred color.

The Swinhoe are slightly larger than the equally rare Mikado Pheasant and the similar Edwards Pheasant and also differ in having a short white crest, a blue head, neck and breast and the red face wattles are much more developed. First year males look similar to adult males, but are duller and the white patch on the back is mottled brown.

Breeding season is from March to May. The female lays 2-6 eggs, which are incubated for 25-28 days. The young can leave the nest from 2-3 days.

The Scaled Quail, also commonly called Blue Quail or cottontop, is a bluish gray bird found in the arid regions of the Southwestern United States and Central Mexico. This bird is named for the scaly appearance of its breast and back feathers. Along with its scaly markings, its white crest that resembles a tuft of cotton easily identifies the bird.

The nest is typically a grass-lined hollow containing 9-16 speckled eggs.. When disturbed, it prefers to run rather than fly. Breeding season is April to September with hens laying around 12 to 14 eggs. Eggs incubate for around 22 days.

The Giant Bobwhite is species of Bobwhite quail breed to be larger than the standard Bobwhite. Standard Bobwhite are native to North America. The name "bobwhite" derives from its characteristic whistling call. Bobwhites are distinguished by a dark cap stripe behind the eye along the head, black in males and brown in females. The area in between is white on males and yellow-brown on females. The body is brown, speckled in places with black or white on both sexes. The Northern Bobwhite's clear whistle, bob-White or bob-bob-White is most often given by males in spring and summertime.

It forms what are known as "coveys", during the non-breeding season (roughly October-April). The breeding season, April to October, hens usually lay around 1 egg per day and incubate them for 23 days. Social pairs typically form between individuals of unknown relationship.

Both males and females can incubate nests, with most nests predominantly incubated by females. If the first clutch of eggs is unsuccessful, a breeding pair will attempt to lay, incubate, and hatch additional clutches. Hens can potentially lay, incubate, and hatch up to 3 clutches per year.

Mexican Speckled Quail are often confused with the Northern Bobwhite Quail at first glance, but closer observation shows that the Speckled Bobwhite has a caramel speckling all over its body. They are color morph of the true Northern Bobwhite. They present no problems in captive rearing, and can be produced easily in small or large aviaries. Hens begin laying in mid April and may lay all summer long. The eggs are pure white and are incubated for 21 days. You will probably have to use artificial incubation with this species, as many captive hens are mass producers of eggs.

They are often one of the first species of quail for the beginning quail breeder and many long-time breeders keep them around for the male's call. Like many other species of quail, they seem to do best on wire, but can be kept on the ground if the aviary is well drained.During the winter, birds that are not kept indoors such as a barn should be grouped together so they can form natural coveys for warmth. They should be fed a good quality game bird ration of at least 16% protein during the non-breeding season to 20% during the laying period.

Button Quail are a small family of birds, which resemble, but are unrelated to, the true quails. They inhabit warm grasslands in Asia, Africa, and Australia. Button Quail are small, drab, running birds, which avoid flying. Unusually, only the male incubates the small dark brown eggs and tends the young.

There is some discrepancy on the actual incubation period of button quail. The average is anywhere between 12 to 16 days depending on the time of year. Hens can lay anytime provided they are in a warm environment. The young are able to fly within two weeks of hatching. Button Quail come in many color patterns including Gray, Painted (Gray and Maroon), Tuxedo, Buff and Red. Sexing is usually extremely easy as males will have a white pattern on their face and hens will not.

The Japanese Quail, also know as the Cortunix, is native to Eastern Asia... They are a migratory species, breeding in Manchuria, southeastern Siberia, and northern Japan, and wintering in southern Japan, the Korean Peninsula, and southern China. They dwell in grasslands and cultivated fields.

The most commonly seen variety is a speckled yellow-brown, with a creamy white strip above the eye. They come in many colors and names. Whites are called Texas A&M where they were breed, they are also known as French Blonde when they are of a buff color.

The breeding season, much like the Button Quail, can be anytime of the year provided they are in a warm environment. Hens usually lay 5 to 9 brown speckled eggs which incubate for around 17 days.

Gambel's Quail inhabit the desert regions of the Western US. These birds are easily recognized by their topknots and scaly plumage on their undersides. Gambel's quail have gray plumage on much of their bodies, and males have copper feathers on the top of their heads, black faces, and white stripes above their eyes. Commonly confused with California quail due to similar plumage, they can usually be distinguished by a more scaly appearance than the California and the black patch on the lower breast of the male Gambel's Quail.

Gambel's quail move about by walking, and can move surprisingly fast through brush and undergrowth. They are a non-migratory species and are rarely seen in flight. Any flight is usually short and explosive, with many rapid wingbeats followed by a slow glide to the ground. These birds have relatively short, rounded wings and long, featherless legs.

In the late summer, fall and winter, the adults and immature young congregate into coveys of many birds. In the spring, Gambel's quail pair off for mating and become very aggressive toward other pairs. Gambel's quail are monogamous, and rarely breed in colonies. Breeding season is April to August where the female typically lays 10 to 15 eggs, incubation lasts from 21-24 days.

The Mountain Quail, also called the Mountain Partridge, Painted Quail, or Plumed Quail, is a small ground-dwelling bird. It inhabits mountainous areas west of the Rocky Mountains, from the United States to Baja peninsula Mexico.

The bird has relatively short, rounded wings and long, featherless legs. These birds are easily recognized by their top knots, which are shorter in the female. They have a brown face, gray breast, brown back and primaries, and heavily white barred underside.

Mountain Quail primarily move about by walking, and can move surprisingly fast through brush and undergrowth. They are a non-migratory species, and in the late summer, fall and winter, the adults and immature young congregate into family groups of up to 20 birds. Any flight is usually short and explosive, with many rapid wingbeats followed by a slow glide to the ground. Its diet consists primarily of plant matter and seeds. The chicks are decidedly more insectivorous than adults, gradually consuming more plant matter as they mature.

Breeding among Mountain Quail is monogamous and occurs between March and April. The female typically lays 9-15 eggs in vegetation, often at the base of a tree or shrub, usually close to water. Incubation lasts from 24-25 days.

Artificially reared chicks are prone to toe picking. Can be controlled by placing alfalfa hay on bottom of brooder, use dimly lit brooders and/or trim the upper beak back about 1/3. If you need to feed mealworms to encourage the birds to eat, cut into small pieces and only feed for a few days (the worms resemble toes).

Native to Mexico and the Western US, their attractive plumage and pleasant calls make it a very popular aviary bird. In captivity the valley quail is one of the easier species to keep and breed. These birds do well when kept on dry ground or wire. Nervous and flighty by nature, they prefer a large enclosure with lots of places to hide. They can be kept as pairs, trios, or in a large covey.

These birds have a curving crest or "plume," made of six feathers, which droops forward - black in males and brown for females; the flanks are brown with white streaks. Males have a dark brown cap and a black face with a brown back, a grey-blue chest and a light brown belly. Females and immature birds are mainly grey-brown with a light-colored belly. Their closest relative is Gambel's.

Once they are hatched, the young associate with both adults. Often, families group together, into multifamily "communal broods" which include at least two females, multiple males and many offspring. The males will begin to show black on their faces at about 8 weeks of age. Males associated with families are not always the genetic fathers. In good years, females will lay more than one clutch, leaving the hatched young with the associated male and laying a new clutch, often with a different male. Breeding season is usually April to September and clutches consist of 10 to 14 eggs, they are incubated for about 22 days. The chicks of this species easy to raise as they learn quickly to eat and drink.