Pheasants and grouse · Gamebirds
Common Quail
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Coturnix coturnix
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Voice
Song
Sonothèque ADVL
Call
Sonothèque ADVL
Song
Kevin Guille
How to recognize it
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16–18 cm, small compact ground game species
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Streaked brown upperparts with pale eye-stripe
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Rufous line behind the eye
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Often detected by the three-part repeated call
About the species
The Common Quail is small and very hard to notice, so it is more often heard than seen. On the ground it keeps low and, when disturbed, usually slips back into cover instead of flying far.
Its voice gives it away. Males call most actively in the morning, evening, and sometimes at night, and in quiet weather the repeated call carries a long way.
It stays in fields, grassland, and hilly open country, feeding on seeds and insects from the ground. It is migratory, wintering in Africa and southwest Asia and returning in spring.
Where to find
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On overgrown vacant lots and the edges of big lawns — most often noticed by its three-part call from dense grass at dawn or in the evening.
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Along city outskirts with rough grass and abandoned field strips — look for quick, low flushes from the ground, then a return straight into cover.
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By tram tracks, on uncut verge strips near cemeteries and stadiums — listen for the repetitive three-note cry coming from the weeds rather than scanning the sky.
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In stubble patches and wide paths between allotment rows — easiest to catch early in the morning, when the male calls from the grass but stays hidden.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Coturnix coturnix Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Common quail Encyclopedia article