Quail Coturnix coturnix   [Linnaeus, 1758]

Jump to: Other Names Trends & Distribution Breeding & Survival Biometrics Books & Links

For details point at or click the button; for sources point at the button

   Page updated:16-January-2013

Order: Galliformes Family: Phasianidae
BTO Codes: Q., QUAIL EURING No: 3700
Number in Britain: 592 males (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK: AMBER
European: 3 Concern, most not in Europe; Depleted
Global: (Details)
Links to: Images   Videos   Sound  
Status in UK: (A)  Migrant Breeder
Subspecies: coturnix recorded in Britain (of 5 subsp. in the world)
.
Length: 17 cm Wingspan: 34 cm Weight: M/F: 100 g    
Scientific name from: L.: coturnix=the quail
World Distribution: BREEDS: Europe, n&c Asia, e&s Africa, WINTERS: Mediterranean & Middle East south to c Africa
Habitat: Field, pasture, steppe
Diet: Omnivorous, seeds (from ground) and invertebrates (esp insects)
TitBit: The Quail is a very weak flyer, but each year manages to migrate to North Africa and back. Its "wet-me-lips" call is now only rarely heard during the summer over most of the country  

Population and Distribution

Population Trend: No population trend available
Distribution: Atlas Maps   
British Population Size:
    Summer: 592 males in 2005-09
    First Record: Recorded in Anglo-Saxon times [Fossil evidence from early Holocene, up to 10,000 yr ago]
    Latest Survey: Holling, M. & RBBP (2011) British Birds 104:476-537
    Conservation Status: AMBER because Species of European Concern, Recovery from Historical Decline,
   Previous Assessments: 2002-2007 RED     1996-2001 RED  
   Races of Concern: coturnix AMBER (European Concern)
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    No habitat data from BBS
European Population Size:
    Summer: 1.3 to 2.7 million pairs
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe mapped by the EBCC Atlas
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: WCA(I), WBD(II*), Bern(III), Bonn(II*)
Survey Results: Results from BirdTrack

Breeding and Survival

Egg Size: 30 x 23 mm Egg Weight: 8.2 g (of which 9 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 1
Clutch Size: 8 - 13 eggs
Incubation: 17- 20 days   by the: Female
Fledging: 18 - 20days as: Precocial, downy
First Clutches Laid: Unavailable
Number of Broods: 1/2
Number Ringed: Annual Totals
Adult Survival: 0.290       
Juvenile Survival: No data
Age at First Breeding: Typical Lifespan: No data
Maximum Recorded Age: Too few birds ringed
Read a summary of Ringing Recoveries

Biometrics

Ring Size: C*
Wing Length Adult: Insufficient Data
Juvenile: Insufficient Data
Male: Insufficient Data
Female: Insufficient Data
Weight Adult: Insufficient Data
Juvenile: Insufficient Data
Male: Insufficient Data
Female: Insufficient Data
Seasonal: Summer 106.7 ± 35.17 (N = 18)  

Other Names

Common Quail
Gaelic: Gearra-gart Welsh: Sofliar
Danish: Vagtel Dutch: Kwartel
Finnish: Viiriäinen French: Caille des blés
German: Wachtel Hungarian: Fürj
Icelandic: Kornhćna Irish: Gearg
Italian: Quaglia Norwegian: Vaktel
Polish: Przepiórka zwyczajna Portuguese: Codorniz
Spanish: Codorniz común Swedish: Vaktel
Collective Noun:Bevy

For More Information...

Books and Monographs:
   Guyomarc'h et al. 1998 BWP Update 2:27-46
   Johnsgard, P.A. 1988 The Quails, Partridges, and Francolins of the world Oxford University Press [598.544 JON]
   Madge, S. & MacGowan, P. 2002 Pheasants, partridges and grouse Pica Press, Sussex [598.544 MAD]
See Also:
Find scientific papers on Google Scholar or Scirus by clicking the icon
Wikipedia entry
BirdLife species page
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides
Read State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead