Thanks to a private donor, we are now home to a new species. The newcomers have already taken residence in our exotic Tropical House, where you will also be able to check them out after we reopen – and, since they form breeding pairs, we may hopefully report on further good news in the near future.
Native to Southeast Asia as well as the northern and eastern coasts of Australia, king quails (Excalfactoria chinensis) are the smallest true quails, with an average body length of 10 to 12 cm and weight of 45 g. They are terrestrial birds, foraging for seeds, leaves and smaller insects in the dense undergrowth of their native tropical and temperate forests or shrublands. Their compact size, resilience and impressive plumage – especially that of males make them rather popular with aviculturists around the world. In Hungary, they are quite rare at zoos, found only here and at Zoo Budapest.
Debrecen Zoo and Amusement Park