The common quail (Coturnix coturnix) belongs to the pheasant family Phasianidae. The common quails are distributed in Europe, Russia, Mongolia, Africa and India. There are four recognized subspecies of these quails. The subspecies C. c. coturnix occurs in Europe, Russia, Mongolia, South and northwest Africa, India and Bangladesh.
The subspecies C. c. confisa occurs in Canary Islands, Madeira and Azores. The subspecies C. c. inopinata occurs in Cape Verde Island. The subspecies C. c. africana occurs in sub-Saharan Africa, Ethiopia, Uganda, Namibia, South Africa, Madagascar, Angola, Congo, Namibia and Zambia.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had categorized and evaluated these pheasant species and had listed them as 'Least Concern'.
These quails are small round birds, measuring 16 to 18 cm in length and weighing 70 to 150 grams. They are migratory birds and have a wingspan of 35 cm. Though they look very similar to Coturnix japonica, C. japonica are game birds and have short wingspans.
They inhabit open grasslands and cultivations. They feed on grains, seeds, leaves and insects. Six to twelve eggs are seen in the nest.
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| Indian bird - Common quail - Coturnix coturnix |
| Biological classification of Coturnix coturnix | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Phasianidae |
| Subfamily: | Perdicinae |
| Genus: | Coturnix |
| Species: | C. coturnix |
| Binomial name: | Coturnix coturnix |
| Distribution: | Europe, Asia and India; |
| Feeding habits: | seeds, insects; |
| IUCN status listing: | Least Concern |
Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Coturnix_coturnix_(Warsaw_zoo)-1.JPG
Author: Guérin Nicolas | License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Current topic: Common quail - Coturnix coturnix.
