Quail is a collective name for several
genera
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...
of mid-sized
birds generally placed in the order
Galliformes. The
collective noun for a group of quail is a
flock, covey, or bevy.
Old World quail are placed in the family
Phasianidae
The Phasianidae are a family (biology), family of heavy, ground-living birds, which includes pheasants, partridges, junglefowl, chickens, Turkey bird, turkeys, Old World quail, and peafowl. The family includes many of the most popular Game (hunti ...
, and
New World quail are placed in the family
Odontophoridae. The species of
buttonquail are named for their superficial resemblance to quail, and form the
family Turnicidae in the
order
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...
Charadriiformes. The
king quail, an Old World quail, often is sold in the pet trade, and within this trade is commonly, though mistakenly, referred to as a "button quail". Many of the common larger species are farm-raised for
table food or
egg consumption, and are
hunted on game farms or in the wild, where they may be released to supplement the wild population, or extend into areas outside their natural range. In 2007, 40 million quail were produced in the U.S.
New World
*Genus ''
Callipepla''
**
Scaled quail, (commonly called blue quail) ''Callipepla squamata''
**
Elegant quail, ''Callipepla douglasii''
**
California quail, ''Callipepla californica''
**
Gambel's quail, ''Callipepla gambelii''
*Genus ''
Cyrtonyx''
**
Montezuma quail, ''Cyrtonyx montezumae''
**
Ocellated quail, ''Cyrtonyx ocellatus''
*Genus ''Dactylortyx''
**
Singing quail
The singing quail (''Dactylortyx thoracicus'') is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae, the New World quail. It is found in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.
Taxonomy and systematics
The singing quail is the only ...
, ''Dactylortyx thoracicus''
*Genus ''Philortyx''
**
Banded quail
The banded quail (''Philortyx fasciatus'') is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae. It is found only in Mexico where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical ...
, ''Philortyx fasciatus''
*Genus ''
Colinus''
**
Northern bobwhite, ''Colinus virginianus''
**
Black-throated bobwhite, ''Colinus nigrogularis''
**
Spot-bellied bobwhite, ''Colinus leucopogon''
**
Crested bobwhite, ''Colinus cristatus''
*Genus ''
Odontophorus''
**
Marbled wood quail
The marbled wood quail (''Odontophorus gujanensis''), also known as the Amazonian wood quail, is a species of bird in the New World quail family. It has an extensive distribution in Central America and the northern part of South America. Its natu ...
, ''Odontophorus gujanensis''
**
Spot-winged wood quail
The spot-winged wood quail (''Odontophorus capueira'') is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae. It is found in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, and formerly in Uruguay.
In Portuguese and Spanish the bird is called uru (Corcovado Urú). , ''Odontophorus capueira''
**
Black-eared wood quail, ''Odontophorus melanotis''
**
Rufous-fronted wood quail, ''Odontophorus erythrops''
**
Black-fronted wood quail, ''Odontophorus atrifrons''
**
Chestnut wood quail
The chestnut wood quail (''Odontophorus hyperythrus'') is a bird species in the family Odontophoridae, the New World quail. It is found only in Colombia.
Taxonomy and systematics
The chestnut wood quail has at various times been proposed or ...
, ''Odontophorus hyperythrus''
**
Dark-backed wood quail, ''Odontophorus melanonotus''
**
Rufous-breasted wood quail, ''Odontophorus speciosus''
**
Tacarcuna wood quail, ''Odontophorus dialeucos''
**
Gorgeted wood quail, ''Odontophorus strophium''
**
Venezuelan wood quail
The Venezuelan wood quail (''Odontophorus columbianus'') is a bird species in the family Odontophoridae, the New World quail. It is found in the Venezuelan Coastal Range.
Taxonomy and systematics
Some authors have suggested that the Venezuel ...
, ''Odontophorus columbianus''
**
Black-breasted wood quail
The black-breasted wood quail (''Odontophorus leucolaemus'') is a bird species in the family Odontophoridae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.
Taxonomy
The black-bre ...
, ''Odontophorus leucolaemus''
**
Stripe-faced wood quail
The stripe-faced wood quail (''Odontophorus balliviani'') is a species of New World quail. It is found in Bolivia and Peru.
Taxonomy and systematics
The specific epithet of the stripe-faced wood quail commemorates José Ballivián, President ...
, ''Odontophorus balliviani''
**
Starred wood quail
The starred wood quail (''Odontophorus stellatus'') is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae (New World quail). It is found in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests of Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru.
Description
The starred ...
, ''Odontophorus stellatus''
**
Spotted wood quail, ''Odontophorus guttatus''
*Genus ''Oreortyx''
**
Mountain quail
The mountain quail (''Oreortyx pictus'') is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. This species is the only one in the genus ''Oreortyx'', which is sometimes included in ''Callipepla''. This is not appropriate, however, as t ...
, ''Oreortyx pictus''
*Genus ''Rhynchortyx''
**
Tawny-faced quail
The tawny-faced quail (''Rhynchortyx cinctus'') is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae, the New World quail. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.
Taxonomy and systematics
The tawny-faced q ...
, ''Rhynchortyx cinctus''
Old World
*Genus ''
Coturnix''
**
Common quail (also called Pharaoh, Bible, European or Nile quail), ''Coturnix coturnix''
**
Japanese quail, ''Coturnix japonica''
**
Stubble quail, ''Coturnix pectoralis''
**†
New Zealand quail
The New Zealand quail (''Coturnix novaezelandiae''), or ''koreke'' in Māori, is an extinct quail species endemic to New Zealand. The male and female were similar, except the female was lighter. The first scientist to describe it was Sir Joseph ...
, ''Coturnix novaezelandiae'' (extinct)
**
Rain quail, ''Coturnix coromandelica''
**
Harlequin quail, ''Coturnix delegorguei''
**†
Canary Islands quail
The Canary Islands quail (''Coturnix gomerae'') is an extinct quail species that once occurred on the islands of El Hierro, La Palma, Tenerife and Fuerteventura (Canary Islands, Spain).
Extinction
This quail was most likely still present in th ...
, ''Coturnix gomerae'' (fossil)
*Genus ''
Synoicus''
**
Brown quail, ''Synoicus ypsilophorus''
**
Blue quail, ''Synoicus adansonii''
**
King quail, ''Synoicus chinensis''
**
Snow Mountain quail, ''Synoicus monorthonyx''
*Genus ''
Perdicula''
**
Jungle bush quail, ''Perdicula asiatica''
**
Rock bush quail
The rock bush quail (''Perdicula argoondah'') is a species of quail found in parts of peninsular India. It is a common species with a wide range and the IUCN has rated it as being of "least concern".
Taxonomy and systematics
There are three r ...
, ''Perdicula argoondah''
**
Painted bush quail, ''Perdicula erythrorhyncha''
**
Manipur bush quail, ''Perdicula manipurensis''
*Genus ''
Ophrysia''
**
Himalayan quail, ''Ophrysia superciliosa'' (critically endangered/extinct)
Quail in cookery
Quail that have fed on
hemlock (e.g., during migration) may induce
acute kidney injury due to accumulation of toxic substances from the hemlock in the meat; this problem is referred to as "
coturnism".
See also
*
Quail eggs
*
Domesticated quail
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
Birds by common name