Pearl Fee Coturnix Quail
The Fee dilute over a dark base — a pearl-grey to slate bird with a soft, even sheen. One of the most refined-looking Coturnix varieties, and not feather-sexable.
What they look like
Where Falb Fee keeps the wild pattern, Pearl Fee lays the silvery dilution over the Extended-Brown family, producing a smooth pearl-to-slate-grey bird with minimal patterning and a lovely uniform sheen. In a mixed pen they read as the 'silver' birds at a glance.
How the genetics work
Same Fee dilution as Falb Fee, expressed on a dark (E-family) base — so it behaves like the Tibetan family with the colors softened: pearl-on-pearl style pairings follow the E-gene math underneath. Line naming varies between breeders; some sell the whole family simply as 'Fee' or 'silver.'
Sexing Pearl Fees
Not feather-sexable — even color hides the breast cues. Vent/foam-gland sexing at 5–7 weeks.
Eggs, size & production
Tracks the line. Like Falb Fee, many Pearl lines are still being sized up by US breeders — ask for weights.
Who this variety is for
Keepers who want the most elegant covey on the block and don't mind vent-sexing. Pairs beautifully in a pen with Tibetans for contrast.
Before you buy
Photos flatter grey birds — ask for pictures in natural light, and confirm whether you're buying Pearl (dark base) or Falb (wild base) Fee; sellers mix the labels.
Keep or breed Pearl Fee?
Show off your birds and compare notes in the free Quail Keeper Community — keepers post their coveys, hatch results, and honest line reviews. Joining also unlocks the Quail Keeper Max app free.
Planning a Pearl Fee breeding project?
Quail Keeper Max has a built-in color genetics calculator — pick two parents and see what the hatch should throw — plus pedigree tracking, breeding pair records, and hatch-rate stats so you can actually see which pairings work. It's the tool this guide's genetics notes come from.
Try the genetics calculator free →Free plan included · No credit card required
Related varieties
A note from one keeper to another: variety names in Coturnix are not tightly standardized — different breeders' lines under the same name can differ in shade, size, and how crosses behave, and several newer varieties are still being mapped by the breeding community. Treat this guide as a working keeper's reference, buy from breeders who know their lines' genetics, and trust real hatch results over any label.