My quail is a Gambel's, very similar to a California, and I've had him since either the day he hatched or the day after. As a baby, he was very tame and liked to cuddle in my hands, would fall asleep there. As he has grown up, he doesn't much like to cuddle -- he's very curious about things and when he is out of his cage he prefers to be "on the go", pecking this, checking that.
He will come and go from my lap and computer table, and he's hand-tame such that I can pet him and easily pick him up, he just doesn't want to stay in my hands, he'd rather sit on my shoulder. He follows me around the house, running along behind on the floor or low-flying behind me from this chair to that table, etc.
He's fun to play "keep-away" with, using a piece of string or cloth. He will also be somewhat aggressive, chasing my hand to peck it or grab it -- if I push him away, he comes right back, but I can calm him easily by directing his attention to something else.
As far as noise goes, he's not especially noisy. He often keeps up a low "queep" sound; he will crow when he hears something unfamiliar, such as when someone with whom he's not familiar comes into the house or the room, or if I am laughing or talking more loudly for some reason. He will also call -- which is fairly loud -- when I move away to where he can't see me.
I'd like him to be more "cuddly" such that he would sit in my hand and relax, and I'm working at training him to be relaxed about it by periodically picking him up and cuddling him against me, and not letting him loose when he struggles. He'll only struggle a little and then will be still for a while, I'm working to increase the "still" time.
