Taxonomy
Coturnix coturnix | Common Quail | Gearg
Distribution
Status
Conservation status
This species is Red-listed
according to Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland 2020-2026 and is of high
conservation value as a result.
According to the last IUCN Red
List assessment in 2018, the quail is a species of ‘Least Concern’ on a global
scale but the population trend is noted as decreasing.
Species Biology
Identification
The Quail can be identified by
its plump body and long wings ending in a point.
It has brown upperparts with
black and whitish streaks running through it. The underparts consist of a faded
orange colour with almost no patterning to it.
The Quail is a shy ground bird. Often,
the only indication of its presence is its characteristic ‘wet my lips’ call
that is repeated multiple times in succession.
As it tends to avoid flying, a
startled Quail will burst out of cover, only to land after a short distance and
hide amongst the vegetation.
A typical Quail stands at a
height of 16-18 cm and has a wingspan of 32-35 cm. Its weight ranges from
75-135 grams, making it dramatically smaller than the more common Pheasant, a
species in the same family, which can weigh upwards of 1.5 kg.
Diet
This omnivorous game bird feeds
on various plant material such as seeds from different cereal crops as well as
animal material such as invertebrates (insects and larvae).
Habitat
This ground nesting species is
associated with cereal crops such as winter wheat, corn, rough grassland and
fallows.
This species will avoid trees and
scrub.
Reproduction
The Quail lays a clutch of 8-13
eggs that weigh around 8.2 grams and incubates these eggs for a period of 17-20
days.
The young will fledge after 18-20
days.
A typical wild Quail lives for
only two years, reaching sexual maturity at one year.
Threats faced
It is thought that the reduction
in the Quails Irish breeding range is related to the decrease in cereal crop
production due to changes in agricultural practices (Gilbert, Stanbury and Lewis, 2021).
Distribution
World distribution(GBIF)
Irish distribution
The Quail is a scarce summer
visitor and passage migrant from Africa.
Temporal change
Records submitted to Data Centre in 2024
The following map is interactive. If you would prefer to view it full screen then click here.
Further information
BirdWatch
Ireland: https://birdwatchireland.ie/birds/quail/
The Royal Society for the
Protection of Birds: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/quail/
British
Trust for Ornithology: https://app.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob3700.htm
IUCN
Red List: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22678944/131904485
References
Publications
Gilbert, G., Stanbury, A. and Lewis, L., 2021. Birds of Conservation
Concern in Ireland 4: 2020-2026. [online] Wicklow. Available at:
<https://birdwatchireland.ie/birds-of-conservation-concern-in-ireland/>
[Accessed 2 Jun. 2021].