Quail

Coturnix coturnix

Introduction

This small gamebird is secretive and hard to see, although its characteristic sweet 'wet-my-lips' call gives away its presence in the countryside.

The Quail is a summer visitor to Britain, and may be encountered anywhere in lowland Britain where there is plenty of arable farmland and open grassland. Quail arrive very late in spring and early summer.

In some years – known as a 'quail year' – the numbers arriving in Britain are much larger than usual. BirdTrack data show 2011 to be one such year, when the number of singing males reported approached 2,000 birds. That year there was also an unusual concentration of birds in the southern Scottish Borders.

Key Stats

Scarce

103.8g

8-13

<1%

BTO Records

19k records

Population and distribution stats for:

No data

355 Males

113% expansion

No data

No current data

100% expansion

Identification

Curated resources to aid in the identification of Quail

Songs and Calls

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Listen to example recordings of the main vocalisations of Quail, provided by xeno-canto contributors.

Song:

Call:

Flight call:

Status and Trends

Population size, trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO and partnership surveys and atlasses with data collected by BTO volunteers.

Conservation Status

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This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

UK Birds of Conservation Concern

Amber listed

Species of European Conservation Concern

Near Threatened

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global)

Least Concern

Schedule 1 Licence required (to disturb)*

Yes

Birds Directive Annex 1

Listed on the Annexes of*

WCA(I), WBD(II*), Bern(III), Bonn(II*)

* A guide only. Check details with the original legislation, especially those marked with an asterisk. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Size

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UK (breeding)

355 Males (2013–17)

Source

BOU Category

Source

First Record*

Recorded in Anglo-Saxon times

* First documented occurrence. Most species undoubtedly occurred before this. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Change

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This summer migrant is monitored by the RBBP but its status is difficult to assess as numbers can fluctuate from year to year. Occupation is often sporadic and birds do not necessarily use the same sites each year. Occasional invasions ('Quail years') occur and may be caused by spring weather conditions although this is unclear. RBBP data suggest that numbers in the UK have been stable over the 25 years to 2019 and show a five-year mean of 370 males over the period 2015–2019 (Eaton et al. 2021). The same report suggests a northward shift in mean breeding latitude of almost 5 km per annum has occurred over the last 30 years

Distribution

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Quail breeding season records are distributed throughout lowland England, where arable farmland and open grassland predominate, plus in a narrow band along the eastern side of Scotland as far north as Shetland.

Occupied 10-km squares in UK

These figures come from Bird Atlas 2007 and indicate how widespread a species is.

No. occupied in breeding season

873

% occupied in breeding season

29%

No. occupied in winter

% occupied in winter

0.1%

Bird Atlas distribution maps show where bird species breed or winter in Britain and Ireland. For breeding maps, larger dots indicate higher certainty the species bred in that area.

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

To view and download up-to-date distribution information aggregated from across BTO and partnership surveys and schemes, see our data holdings on the NBN Atlas.

European Distribution Map

European Breeding Bird Atlas 2

Distribution Change

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As Quail numbers vary markedly from year to year, range changes depend on how many 'Quail years' each atlas experienced. Nevertheless, areas of calcareous soils in southern Britain seem to be consistently occupied in all atlases.

Change in occupied 10-km squares in the UK

These figures come from Bird Atlas 2007-11 and indicate by how much occupied areas have expanded or contracted over recent decades.

% change in range in breeding season (1968–72 to 2008–11)

113 %

% change in range in winter (1981–84 to 2007–11)

100 %

Bird Atlas distribution change maps show how bird distributions have changed through time. Coloured upward-pointing triangles show places apparently colonised over the period; grey downward-pointing triangles show places apparently vacated. Shading show places occupied.

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

Seasonality

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Quails are summer visitor, mostly arriving from late May onwards. After July probably under-recorded once males stop singing.

Weekly pattern of occurrence

The graph shows when the species is present in the UK, with taller bars indicating a higher likelihood of encountering the species in appropriate regions and habitats.

Phenology graph — Weekly occurrence patterns (shaded cells and reporting rates (vertical bars) based on BirdTrack data. Reporting rates give the likelihood of encountering the species each week.

Movement

Information about Quail movements and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

Britain & Ireland movement

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View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

Dots show the foreign destinations of birds ringed in Britain & Ireland, and the origins of birds ringed overseas that were subsequently recaptured, resighted or found dead in Britain & Ireland. Dot colours indicate the time of year that the species was present at the location.

Winter (Nov-Feb)
Spring (Mar-Apr)
Summer (May-Jul)
Autumn (Aug-Oct)

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

European movements

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EuroBirdPortal uses birdwatcher's records, such as those logged in BirdTrack to map the flows of birds as they arrive and depart Europe. See maps for this species here.

The Eurasian-African Migration Atlas shows movements of individual birds ringed or recovered in Europe. See maps for this species here.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information for Quail, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

Productivity and Nesting

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Nesting timing

Typical (exceptional) number of broods

1–2

Source

Egg measurements

Typical length x width

30x23 mm

Mass (% shell)

8.2g (9%)

Source

Clutch Size

Typical number

13-8 eggs

Observed minimum and maximum

7-18 eggs

Source

Incubation

Incubation by

Female

Typical duration

20-17 days

Source

Fledging

Type of chick

Precocial, downy

Typical duration

20-18 days

Source

Survival and Longevity

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Survival is shown as the proportion of birds surviving from one year to the next and is derived from bird ringing data. It can also be used to estimate how long birds typically live.

View number ringed each year in the Online Ringing Report.

lifespan

Typical life expectancy of bird reaching breeding age

2 years with breeding typically at 1 year

Survival of adults

All adults

0.29

Source

Biometrics

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Wing length and body weights are from live birds (source).

Ring Size

Classification, names and codes

Taxonomy, names and species codes for Quail

Classification and Codes

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Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae
Scientific name: Coturnix coturnix
Authority: Linnaeus, 1758

BTO 2-letter code: Q.
BTO 5-letter code: QUAIL
Euring code number: 3700

Alternate species names

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Catalan: guatlla comuna
Czech: krepelka polní
Danish: Vagtel
Dutch: Kwartel
Estonian: põldvutt
Finnish: viiriäinen
French: Caille des blés
Gaelic: Gearra-gart

German: Wachtel
Hungarian: fürj
Icelandic: Kornhæna
Irish: Gearg
Italian: Quaglia
Latvian: paipala
Lithuanian: paprastoji putpele
Norwegian: Vaktel

Polish: przepiórka (zwyczajna)
Portuguese: codorniz
Slovak: prepelica polná
Slovenian: prepelica
Spanish: Codorniz común
Swedish: vaktel
Welsh: Sofliar

Research

Interpretation and scientific publications about Quail from BTO scientists.

Causes of Change and Solutions

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Causes of change

The breeding range of Quail has shifted northward in Europe, including within the UK, over the last 30 years (Keller et al. 2020; Eaton et al. 2021). Whilst the reasons for this shift are still unclear, it is suspected that differences in numbers of Quail could be linked to weather conditions, and hence it is feasible that long-term changes in Quail distribution could be linked to climate change.

More Evidence

More evidence from Conservation Evidence.com

Partners

Birdfacts is based on data collected by volunteers participating in surveys that are organised and funded by BTO, RSPB, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, JNCC and other partners.

BTO

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

JNCC

RSPB

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