The Manipur bush quail is a species of quail found in northeastern India and Bangladesh inhabiting damp grassland, particularly stands of tall grass. It was first collected and described by Allan Octavian Hume on an ornithological expedition to Manipur in 1881.
Region
Northeast India and Bangladesh
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily in the lowlands and foothills of northeastern India (including Manipur, Assam, and adjacent states) and historically in nearby Bangladesh (Sylhet region). Prefers damp tall-grass habitats dominated by Saccharum, Imperata, and Themeda near marshes, river floodplains, and the edges of rice fields. Often uses early post-burn regrowth and rank grass along wetland margins for cover. Highly localized, with populations fragmented by habitat loss and conversion to agriculture.
Altitude Range
0–1000 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This elusive quail inhabits dense, damp tall-grass stands and is rarely seen, often revealing itself only when it bursts from cover with a whirring flight. Long feared possibly extinct, it was dramatically rediscovered in Assam in 2006. Its fortunes are closely tied to the health of tall alluvial grasslands shaped by monsoon floods and seasonal burning.
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with explosive flush, low darting flight
Social Behavior
Typically found in small coveys that hold tightly in cover and run rather than fly when disturbed. Nests on the ground, a shallow scrape well concealed in dense grass. Breeding is associated with the monsoon when fresh grass growth provides cover and food.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are soft, clear whistles and piping notes given from within cover, often at dawn and dusk. Contact calls are short, metallic chips used to maintain cohesion within coveys.
