Quail
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| Brown quail |
Brown quail, Coturnix ypsilophora is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes.
Old World quail are placed in the family Phasianidae, and New World quail are placed in the family Odontophoridae. The species of buttonquail are named for their superficial resemblance to quail, and form the family Turnicidae in the orderCharadriiformes. The king quail, an Old World quail, often is sold in the pet trade, and within this trade is commonly, though mistakenly, referred to as a "button quail". Many of the common larger species are farm-raised for table food or egg consumption, and are hunted on game farms or in the wild, where they may be released to supplement the wild population, or extend into areas outside their natural range. In 2007, 40 million quail were produced in the U.S.
The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey or bevy.
| Quail | |
|---|---|
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| Brown quail, Coturnix ypsilophora | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Phasianidae, Odontophoridae |
Behaviour and ecology
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| Quail |
The New World quails are shy diurnal birds and generally live on the ground; even the tree quails which roost in high trees generally feed mainly on the ground. They are generalists with regards to their diet, taking insects, seeds, vegetation and tubers. Desert species in particular consume a lot of seeds.
Most of the information about the breeding biology of New World quails comes from North American species, which have been better studied than those of the Neotropics. The family is generally thought to be monogamous, and nest are constructed on the ground. Clutch sizes are large, a situation typical within the Galliformes, ranging from three to six eggs for the tree quail and wood quail, and as high as 10-15 for the northern bobwhite. Incubation takes between 16 and 30 days depending on the species. Chicks are precocial and quickly leave the nest to accompany the parents in large family groups.
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| Quail |
Northern bobwhite and California quail are popular gamebirds, with many taken by hunters, but these species have also had their ranges increased to meet hunting demand and are not threatened. They are also artificially stocked. Some species are threatened by human activity, such as the bearded tree quail of Mexico, which is threatened by habitat loss and illegal hunting.
New World
- Genus Callipepla
- Scaled quail, (commonly called blue quail) Callipepla squamata
- Elegant quail, Callipepla douglasii
- California quail, Callipepla californica
- Gambel's quail, Callipepla gambelii
- Genus Cyrtonyx
- Montezuma quail, Cyrtonyx montezumae
- Ocellated quail, Cyrtonyx ocellatus
- Genus Dactylortyx
- Singing quail, Dactylortyx thoracicus
- Genus Philortyx
- Banded quail, Philortyx fasciatus
- Genus Colinus
- Northern bobwhite, Colinus virginianus
- Black-throated bobwhite, Colinus nigrogularis
- Spot-bellied bobwhite, Colinus leucopogon
- Crested bobwhite, Colinus cristatus
- Genus Odontophorus
- Marbled wood quail, Odontophorus gujanensis
- Spot-winged wood quail, Odontophorus capueira
- Black-eared wood quail, Odontophorus melanotis
- Rufous-fronted wood quail, Odontophorus erythrops
- Black-fronted wood quail, Odontophorus atrifrons
- Chestnut wood quail, Odontophorus hyperythrus
- Dark-backed wood quail, Odontophorus melanonotus
- Rufous-breasted wood quail, Odontophorus speciosus
- Tacarcuna wood quail, Odontophorus dialeucos
- Gorgeted wood quail, Odontophorus strophium
- Venezuelan wood quail, Odontophorus columbianus
- Black-breasted wood quail, Odontophorus leucolaemus
- Stripe-faced wood quail, Odontophorus balliviani
- Starred wood quail, Odontophorus stellatus
- Spotted wood quail, Odontophorus guttatus
- Genus Oreortyx
- Mountain quail, Oreortyx pictus
- Genus Rhynchortyx
- Tawny-faced quail, Rhynchortyx cinctus
Old World
- Genus Coturnix
- Common quail (also called Pharaoh, Bible, European or Nile quail), Coturnix coturnix
- Japanese quail, Coturnix japonica
- Stubble quail, Coturnix pectoralis
- †New Zealand quail, Coturnix novaezelandiae (extinct)
- Rain quail, Coturnix coromandelica
- Harlequin quail, Coturnix delegorguei
- †Canary Islands quail, Coturnix gomerae (fossil)
- Brown quail, Coturnix ypsilophora
- Blue quail, Coturnix adansonii
- King quail, Coturnix chinensis
- Genus Anurophasis
- Snow Mountain quail, Anurophasis monorthonyx
- Genus Perdicula
- Jungle bush quail, Perdicula asiatica
- Rock bush quail, Perdicula argoondah
- Painted bush quail, Perdicula erythrorhyncha
- Manipur bush quail, Perdicula manipurensis
- Genus Ophrysia
- Himalayan quail, Ophrysia superciliosa (critically endangered/extinct)
Quail in cookery
Quail that have fed on hemlock (e.g., during migration) may induce acute renal failure due to accumulation of toxic substances from the hemlock in the meat; this problem is referred to as "coturnism".
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