The Japanese quail, (Coturnix japonica) belongs to the family Phasianidae. The Japanese quails are distributed in India, Korea, Japan, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Mongolia, Russia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and China. These birds have been introduced to Hawaiian Islands, Reunion and Italy. Domestication and selective breeding has produced many strains.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had categorized and evaluated these quail species and had listed them as 'Near Threatened'.
These quails are small birds, measuring 17 to 20 cm in length and weighing 90 grams. The females have brown plumage with dark spots on the breast region. The males breast feathers have uniform dark brownish-red color. The cheeks of males are also brownish-red whereas in females the cheeks are cream colored. The females are slightly larger than the males.
They inhabit open areas steppes, meadows, and mountain slopes near a water source and dense vegetation. They feed on seeds, cereals, grains, insects and small vertebrates. The birds are generally monogamous. Some instances of polygamy had been noted. Female birds incubate the eggs and provide parental care to the hatchlings.
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| Indian bird - Japanese quail - Coturnix japonica |
| Biological classification of Coturnix japonica | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Phasianidae |
| Subfamily: | Perdicinae |
| Genus: | Coturnix |
| Species: | C. japonica |
| Binomial name: | Coturnix japonica |
| Distribution: | Europe, Asia and India; |
| Feeding habits: | seeds, insects; |
| IUCN status listing: | Near Threatened |
Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Japanese_Quail.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/people/49503118795@N01
Author: Ingrid Taylar | License: CC BY 2.0
Current topic: Japanese quail - Coturnix japonica.