The common quail or European quail is a small ground-nesting game bird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. It is mainly migratory, breeding in the western Palearctic and wintering in Africa and southern India.
Region
Western Palearctic (breeding) and sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia (wintering)
Typical Environment
Breeds widely across Europe, North Africa, and western to central Asia in open country, especially farmlands with cereals, grasslands, steppe, fallows, and weedy fields. In winter it occupies savannas, cultivated lands, and scrubby grasslands across sub-Saharan Africa and parts of southern India. Prefers dense herb layer for cover and nests on the ground in concealed grass tussocks. Populations can shift locally with rainfall and crop cycles, making the species somewhat nomadic within seasons.
Altitude Range
0–2500 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
The common quail is one of the few true long‑distance migratory gamebirds, crossing the Mediterranean to winter in Africa and southern Asia. Its distinctive three-note call is often rendered as “wet-my-lips” and is frequently heard at dusk and night from fields. Highly cryptic and reluctant to flush, it relies on camouflage and short, swift flights to evade predators. It has benefitted and suffered from agriculture, favoring cereal fields but vulnerable to intensive farming and heavy hunting pressure along flyways.
Eggs
Temperament
secretive and wary
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats; low, fast, and direct
Social Behavior
Generally solitary or in loose pairs during breeding, nesting on the ground with a clutch typically of 7–12 eggs. Males may be polygynous and do not incubate; females provide most parental care. Outside the breeding season, small coveys may form in suitable cover, especially in wintering grounds.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
The male gives a rhythmic, three-syllable whistle commonly transcribed as “wet-my-lips,” repeated persistently at dusk, night, and dawn. Contact calls are softer, with short clucks and chirps from cover.
