The ontogeny of crowing and copulatory behavior in Japanese quail ( Coturnix Coturnix Japonica)

Abstract

The onset and development of sexual behavior were examined in the male Japanese quail. Sixteen individuals were observed for crowing, tested for mating, and measured for cloacal gland area at 2-day intervals from day 10 to day 60 posthatch. Onset of the behaviors occured in a sequence. Crowing began at 32.8 days, mating attempts at 34.3 days and mating (cloacal contacts) at 36.9 days. Frequencies of each of these behaviors inceased rapidly from the time of onset. The order in the onset of sexual behaviors and the subsequent rapid increase in frequencies of all behaviors following their onset, indicates that there may be a single physiological factor which determines the characteristics of these events.