Quail

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This article is about the bird. For the town, see Quail, Texas. For the unmanned drone aircraft, see ADM-20 Quail.
Quail
Common Quail
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae
Genera

† 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. New World quails are not closely related but so named for their similar appearance and behaviour. Buttonquails are in a different family (Turnicidae) and are not true quails.

Contents

[edit] Behaviour

Quail eggs in a nest
Quail eggs in a nest

Quails are small, plump terrestrial birds. They are seed eaters but will also take insects and similar small prey. They nest on the ground and are capable of short, rapid bursts of flight. Some species such as the Japanese and Common Quail are migratory and fly for long distances.[1] [2] Some quail are farmed in large numbers. The Japanese Quail (or coturnix quail) is kept mostly to produce eggs.

[edit] Species in taxonomic order

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Coturnix japonica (Japanese quail). Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved on 2007-09-21.
  2. ^ Coturnix coturnix (common quail). Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved on 2007-09-21.

[edit] External links

Look up quail in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.