Common Quail

The Common Quail is a small, round-bodied gamebird about 17.5cm long and weighing 70–155g. Its upperparts are cryptically streaked brown and buff, and pale stripes run along the head and back. The male typically has a darker throat pattern than the female. It closely resembles the Japanese Quail, but its distinctive repeated call is often the most reliable clue because the bird remains hidden in tall vegetation (Animal Diversity Web).

Common Quail favour grassland and cultivated fields with dense, tall cover. They walk through vegetation and feed on the ground, taking weed seeds, spilled grain, small insects and larvae. The female lays six to thirteen eggs in a ground nest and incubates them for 17–20 days; the downy chicks are mobile soon after hatching. Unlike most gamebirds, many populations undertake long seasonal migrations (Animal Diversity Web; BTO BirdFacts).