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 ...
of mid-sized
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...
s generally placed in the order
Galliformes
Galliformes is an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding birds that includes turkeys, chickens, quail, and other landfowl. Gallinaceous birds, as they are called, are important in their ecosystems as seed dispersers and predators, and are ofte ...
. The
collective noun
In linguistics, a collective noun is a word referring to a collection of things taken as a whole. Most collective nouns in everyday speech are not specific to one kind of thing. For example, the collective noun "group" can be applied to people (" ...
for a group of quail is a
flock, covey, or bevy.
Old World quail are placed in the family
Phasianidae, 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
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
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
The scaled quail (''Callipepla squamata''), also commonly called blue quail or cottontop, is a species of the New World quail family. It is a bluish gray bird found in the arid regions of the Southwestern United States to Central Mexico. This s ...
, (commonly called blue quail) ''Callipepla squamata''
**
Elegant quail, ''Callipepla douglasii''
**
California quail
The California quail (''Callipepla californica''), also known as the California valley quail or Valley quail, is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. These birds have a curving crest or '' plume'', made of six feathers, th ...
, ''Callipepla californica''
**
Gambel's quail, ''Callipepla gambelii''
*Genus ''
Cyrtonyx''
**
Montezuma quail, ''Cyrtonyx montezumae''
**
Ocellated quail, ''Cyrtonyx ocellatus''
*Genus ''Dactylortyx''
**
Singing quail, ''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
The Yucatan bobwhite or black-throated bobwhite (''Colinus nigrogularis'') is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae. It is found in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropi ...
, ''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, ''Odontophorus capueira''
**
Black-eared wood quail, ''Odontophorus melanotis''
**
Rufous-fronted wood quail, ''Odontophorus erythrops''
**
Black-fronted wood quail, ''Odontophorus atrifrons''
**
Chestnut wood quail, ''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, ''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 Jos ...
, ''Coturnix novaezelandiae'' (extinct)
**
Rain quail, ''Coturnix coromandelica''
**
Harlequin quail, ''Coturnix delegorguei''
**†
Canary Islands quail, ''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, ''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