'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. They are capable of short, rapid bursts of flight. Some species, including the Japanese and Common Quail, are
migratory and fly for long distances.
[1]
Some quail are farmed in large numbers. These include Japanese Quail, also commonly known as coturnix quail, mostly kept to produce eggs.
Species in taxonomic order
★ Genus ''
Coturnix''
★
★
Common 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''
★
★
Brown Quail, ''Coturnix ypsilophora''
★
★
Blue Quail, ''Coturnix adansonii''
★
★
Blue-breasted 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

Several quail eggs in a nest
See also
★
Quails in cookery
References
1. Coturnix japonica See also [1]
External links
★
Commercial coturnix quail farming