The rain quail or black-breasted quail is a species of quail found in the Indian Sub-continent and South-east Asia; its range including Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Region
South Asia and Mainland Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Occurs widely across the Indian Subcontinent and into Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, with local presence in Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Prefers open grasslands, scrubby plains, fallow fields, and agricultural landscapes with patchy cover. Often uses stubble, weedy field margins, and lightly grazed pasture for concealment. After rains, it may expand into freshly greened areas and fallow plots. Ground-dwelling and rarely perches.
Altitude Range
0–1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Also called the black-breasted quail, the male shows a striking black breast patch bordered in white during the breeding season. Its breeding is closely tied to monsoon rains, and birds may wander locally following showers. They are secretive, relying on camouflage and sudden, explosive flushes to evade predators.
Drawing of the head of a rain quail
Temperament
shy and cryptic
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs during the breeding season and in small coveys outside it. Nests on the ground in a shallow scrape concealed by grasses. Breeding is closely linked to seasonal rains, and males call persistently at dawn and dusk. Parental care is primarily by the female.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
A sharp, whistled, two- or three-note call frequently delivered after rains, often carrying over grasslands. Males call repeatedly at dawn and dusk during the breeding season, with pauses between phrases.
Plumage
Densely mottled and streaked brown upperparts with buff and rufous edges; underparts buff to whitish with variable streaking. Breeding males show a bold black breast patch bordered in white and strong head striping; females are paler and more evenly streaked without the dark breast. Short rounded wings and a compact, rounded body.
Diet
Eats a mix of grass and weed seeds, grains, and a variety of small invertebrates such as termites, beetles, and ants. After rains, it increases intake of soft-bodied insects and larvae. Forages mostly by walking and pecking on the ground, sometimes scratching lightly to uncover food. Will take spilled grain around fields and threshing areas.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in low, open cover such as stubble fields, grassy margins, and lightly grazed scrub. Often forages near hedges, bunds, and field edges where cover is close at hand for quick concealment.
