Poor birdies, my ass!
I used to hunt quail with a single-shot pellet gun. It was more sporting than a shotgun! I would take 15-20 in a Sunday! The BBQ was rewarding!
You have to sneak pretty close to take a bird with an air rifle. You have to be within 30 feet. But the air gun is so quiet that the flock doesn't realize that they are being plinked until I have taken 3-4 of them. They would just keep pecking at seeds while I shot another one. I took most of them with clean head shots. They drop instantly. An air gun makes a sound like a fart, but shorter and a lot quieter. The pellet or bullet flies at about 1000 feet per second, but is lighter than a .22. It is a matter of accurate shooting. I usually used a scope. Head shots are preferable. Quail or Dove breast tastes really great when it is not filled with lead bird shot. The air pellet is the bullet of choice. You have to work to get enough to make a meal. I once did it regularly. I ate some quantity of dove and quail. It tastes like chicken. It BBQ's the same too.