Birds Guide

Quails
Common Quail
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia   Phylum: Chordata   Class: Aves   Order: Galliformes   Family: Phasianidae†
Genera
Coturnix Anurophasis Perdicula Ophrysia † See also Pheasant, Partridge, Grouse

Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds in the pheasant family Phasianidae, or in the family Odontophoridae. This article deals with the Old World species in the former family. The New World quails are not closely related, but are named for their similar appearance and behaviour.

The Old World buttonquails are also in a different family Turnicidae, and are not true quails.

The quails are small, plump terrestrial birds. They are seed eaters, but will also take insects and similar small prey. They nest on the ground.

Some quail are farmed in large numbers. These include Japanese quail, also commonly known as coturnix quail, which are mostly kept to produce eggs that are sold worldwide.

Species list

• Genus Coturnix
  • Coturnix coturnix, Common Quail
    Coturnix japonica, Japanese Quail
    Coturnix pectoralis, Stubble Quail
    Coturnix novaezelandiae, New Zealand Quail Extinct
    Coturnix coromandelica, Rain Quail
    Coturnix delegorguei, Harlequin Quail
    Coturnix ypsilophora, Brown Quail
    Coturnix adansonii, Blue Quail
    Coturnix chinensis, Blue-breasted Quail
• Genus Anurophasis
  • Anurophasis monorthonyx, Snow Mountain Quail
• Genus Perdicula
  • Perdicula asiatica, Jungle Bush-quail
    Perdicula argoondah, Rock Bush-quail
    Perdicula erythrorhyncha, Painted Bush-quail
    Perdicula manipurensis, Manipur Bush-quail
• Genus Ophrysia
  • Ophrysia superciliosa, Himalayan Quail Critically Endangered/Extinct

References

• Commercial coturnix quail farming