Birds and wildlife

Quail

Coturnix coturnixGroup: Pheasants and partridgesUK Conservation status:Not assessed

How to identify

The combination of their stocky bodies and pointed wings makes Quails stand out. Their upperparts are brown, streaked and striped with beige, while their underparts are a warm browny orange. Quails are more likely to be heard than seen. Listen out for their distinctive “pick-per-wick” call. Their breeding range reaches as far north as the UK, where they are the only migrant species of the Phasianidae family, which includes heavy ground-living birds such as the Pheasant. Due to their historical decline, Quails are on the Amber List but are now in partial recovery. They are also listed on Schedule 1 of The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Call

Quail

Patrik Åberg / xeno-canto

Key

  1. Resident
  2. Passage
  3. Summer
  4. Winter
* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Key facts