Quail (Coturnix coturnix)

Measurements: 16-18cm.

Id: Very small, not much bigger than a Skylark; almost impossible to see unless flushed.

By christoph_moning – https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/93239286, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=107981650

The Quail is the only gamebird in Europe that is profoundly migratory, but what a migrant it is! Its spectacular and unusual movements have been noted since Biblical times, when it was recorded as one of the main foods for the Israelites in the deserts of Sinai; and there is no doubt that huge numbers can arrive in an area without warning. For centuries it has been hunted on the Mediterranean coast as it arrived in spring from Africa. Parties of Quail travel at night, and make landfall at dawn, flying as little as 30cm over the sea and settling within 300m of the shore, making them easy and worthwhile to catch. The Quail has also puzzled inhabitants of northern Europe by its wild fluctuations in numbers and odd arrival times in the summer; even by its occasional instances of overwintering. So if the Quail is the only migratory representative of its family, it certainly does it in style.

But the Quail’s most unusual migratory quirk has only recently been discovered. It appears that some birds arrive in the south of Europe early in the spring, breed, and then migrate north again and breed again. No other bird in Europe does this. Even more remarkably, the offspring from these first broods can also join in with the northward movement and breed themselves later the same summer, even though they may have hatched only two months previously. This explains the long observed “second wave” of Quail arrivals noted in July and August in Northern Europe. Such a system of relay reproduction is seen in several butterfly species as they move north from Africa each summer, but not by any other birds.

By at0m – https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/77444660, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=107983218

The young of Quail are evidently very precocious; they can flutter when only 11 days old and fly at 19 days, and they reach sexual maturity at 12-15 weeks. Having such a quick turnover allows Quails to maximise their productivity when conditions are good.

The Quail breeds in open areas of grassland or cultivation. It is put off by too much tree or hedge cover, and the vegetation needs to be tall enough to hide in, but not too tall. Fields of various crops are ideal, as is clover. The bird feeds on the ground by scratching, and it eats the seeds of various weeds, as well as plenty of insects and other invertebrates – more than usual for a gamebird.

Under the cover of grass the Quail is very secretive, and almost never seen. Often the only sign of its presence is the male’s very distinctive “Wet-me-lips” advertising call, which is usually heard in the twilight, or at night. The male stops calling as soon as it is paired, so the period when Quails are detectable is rather short. And because of the difficulty of seeing them, let alone studying them, many details of the Quail’s breeding and other habits remain unclear. Some individuals, for example, are monogamous, while others are polygynous, and still others promiscuous. It probably depends on the prevailing sex ratio, but nobody is entirely sure.