European quail
The Common quail (Coturnix coturnix) is a small ground-nesting game bird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. With its characteristic call, this species of quail is more often heard than seen. It is widespread in Europe and North Africa, and should not be confused with the Japanese quail, Coturnix japonica, native to Asia, which looks very similar. Like the Japanese quail, Common quails are sometimes kept as poultry.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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GranivoreSeed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of pla...
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OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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starts withThe Common quail is a small ground-nesting game bird. It is streaked brown with a white eyestripe, and, in the male, a white chin. It has long wings and the female is generally slightly heavier than the male.
Common quail breed in Europe, western Asia, and northwest Africa. Unlike most game birds, they are strongly migratory and winter in Africa and southern India. They inhabit grasslands and farmlands preferring areas with dense, tall vegetation.
Common quail are generally solitary birds; they spend most of their time on the ground and are more often heard than seen. They typically remain hidden in crops, and are reluctant to fly, preferring to creep away instead. Even when flushed, they keep low and soon drop back into cover. Often the only indication of their presence is the distinctive "wet-my-lips" repetitive song of the male. This call is uttered mostly in the mornings, evenings, and sometimes at night.
Common quail mainly have a herbivorous (granivorous) diet feeding on various seeds, grains, and weeds. However, they will also eat small insects such as beetles, bugs, ants, worms, and grasshoppers.
Males generally arrive in the breeding area before the females. In northern Europe, laying begins in the middle of May, and with repeat, laying can continue to the end of August. The female forms a shallow scrape in the ground 7-13.5 cm (2.8-5.3 in) in diameter which is sparsely lined with vegetation. The clutch consists of between 8 and 13 eggs which have an off-white to creamy yellow background with dark brown spots or blotches. The eggs are incubated by the female alone beginning after all the eggs are laid and hatch synchronously after 17-20 days. The chicks are precocial and shortly after hatching leave the nest and can feed themselves. They are cared for by the female who broods them while they are small. The young fledge around 19 days after hatching but stay in the family group for 30-50 days. They generally first breed when one-year-old and only have a single brood.
The main threats to Common quail include habitat loss, hunting, trapping, climate change, drought, and in some areas hybridization with Japanese quail.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Common quail is 15,000,000-35,000,000 mature individuals. The European population consists of 3,320,000-6,720,000 calling or lekking males, which equates to 6,630,000-13,400,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.
These small birds play an important role in the ecosystem they live in. Feeding upon various seeds and grain, Common quail have an impact on the plants within their native range.
