Quail is a common name used for a group of small ground-living birds in the order Galliformes. It does not describe one single species. Quail are divided into two main groups: Old World quail in the family Phasianidae and New World quail in the family Odontophoridae. They look similar at first glance, but the two groups have different evolutionary histories.
These birds have compact bodies, short tails, rounded wings, and strong legs suited to life close to the ground. Most quail spend a large part of their time walking through grass, shrubs, fields, woodland edges, or other low vegetation while searching for food.
The size of a quail changes greatly between species. The blue-breasted quail, Coturnix chinensis, measures only about 12.5 to 14 cm long and weighs 28 to 40 g. The mountain quail, Oreortyx pictus, is much larger and reaches about 600 to 3,050 m in elevation across its range.
The common quail, Coturnix coturnix, is about 17.5 cm long and weighs 70 to 155 g. It occurs across Europe, Asia, and Africa and is the best-known migratory species among the true quails.
The rain quail, Coturnix coromandelica, shown in the photograph used with this article, is a smaller species measuring about 15 to 16 cm. It occurs in India, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar and lives in open grasslands and monsoonal regions.
New World quail include familiar North American birds such as the California quail, Gambel's quail, northern bobwhite, scaled quail, mountain quail, and Montezuma quail. Cornell Lab of Ornithology currently lists 6 New World quail species in its North American taxonomy.
Quail also have an unusual place in human history. Common quail appear in Egyptian hieroglyphs dating to about 5000 B.C., while Japanese quail have been bred in captivity on a large scale for food and eggs.
Their small size hides a surprisingly complicated life. A quail can walk through dense vegetation almost unnoticed, suddenly burst into flight when disturbed, produce a large clutch of eggs, and raise chicks that are able to move across the ground soon after hatching.
In 2025, a global review examined the conservation status of 47 true quail species from the Old World and New World groups. The review found that 34 species were classified as Least Concern under the 2021 IUCN assessments, while 12 species were placed in threatened or Near Threatened categories. The New Zealand quail is extinct, while the Himalayan quail is classified as Critically Endangered.
So what exactly is a quail, and how different are its species?
What are the main types of quail?
Quail are divided into two major groups. Old World quail belong to the family Phasianidae, while New World quail belong to the family Odontophoridae. Both groups are members of the order Galliformes.
The Old World group contains species from Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Important species include the common quail (Coturnix coturnix), Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica), rain quail (Coturnix coromandelica), harlequin quail (Coturnix delegorguei), stubble quail (Coturnix pectoralis), brown quail (Coturnix ypsilophora), and king quail (Coturnix chinensis).
New World quail form a separate family. The 6 North American species listed by Cornell are California quail (Callipepla californica), Gambel's quail (Callipepla gambelii), scaled quail (Callipepla squamata), northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), mountain quail (Oreortyx pictus), and Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae).
The family distinction matters because New World quail are not simply American versions of Old World quail. Genetic research supports their placement as a separate lineage within the Galliformes.
How big is a quail?
There is no single size for all quail. The species differ in body length, mass, wing dimensions, and proportions.
The king quail is one of the smallest birds carrying the quail name. It measures about 12.5 to 14 cm and weighs 28 to 40 g.
The rain quail reaches about 15 to 16 cm in length. Males have wings measuring about 93 to 96 mm, while female wings measure about 90 to 97 mm.
The common quail averages about 17.5 cm and weighs 70 to 155 g.
Japanese quail have an average mass around 90 g in one ADW dataset, with another dataset giving 115 g. Their wings measure about 92 to 101 mm and their tails measure about 35 to 49 mm.
California quail reach about 25 cm in length and weigh about 150.6 to 189.5 g.
Gambel's quail reach about 11 inches, or roughly 28 cm, and weigh 160 to 200 g.
Northern bobwhites measure about 20.3 to 24.7 cm and weigh 140 to 170 g.
Montezuma quail measure 20.5 to 23 cm and weigh about 176 to 195 g.
Mountain quail are among the largest North American quail. Their bodies are described as large and stout, with adults reaching higher elevations than the other North American species listed above.
Where do quail live?
Quail occupy grasslands, agricultural fields, shrublands, forests, deserts, mountain slopes, savannas, and woodland edges. Their exact habitat depends on the species.
Common quail prefer grasslands with tall, dense vegetation. They also use cultivated fields containing crops such as winter wheat and clover.
Rain quail live across India, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar. They occur in open grasslands and monsoonal habitats, with records reaching about 2,500 m in the Himalayas.
Japanese quail use grassy fields, river banks, and rice fields. Their distribution extends across parts of East Asia.
Gambel's quail are strongly associated with the deserts and dry shrublands of the southwestern United States and parts of Mexico. Arizona contains a large portion of their range.
California quail live across western North America in habitats such as open woodland, brushy foothills, valleys, agricultural areas, and suburban environments.
Mountain quail occupy rugged western habitats. Records place them from roughly 600 to 3,050 m above sea level, with dense shrubs and woodland cover forming an important part of their habitat.
Montezuma quail occupy mountain habitats in Mexico and parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. They have been recorded at elevations reaching about 3,050 m in Arizona.
What do quail eat?
Quail feed primarily on plant material and small invertebrates, but the exact diet changes between species, seasons, and habitats.
Seeds form an important part of the diet of California quail. Their food includes seeds from plants such as lupines and clovers, with insects added when available.
Young quail need animal protein during early growth. Insects provide a concentrated source of protein for developing chicks.
Common quail feed on seeds, grains, and small invertebrates while moving through grassland vegetation.
Gambel's quail feed on seeds, plants, and insects. Their food supply is closely linked with rainfall because rainfall changes plant growth across desert habitats.
Montezuma quail feed on seeds and underground plant material, while parents guide newly hatched chicks toward suitable food during their first days.
Quail search for food mainly on the ground. Their strong legs allow them to scratch through vegetation and leaf litter while looking for edible material.
How do quail reproduce and raise their chicks?
Quail build their nests on or very close to the ground. A nest is often a shallow depression protected by grass, shrubs, leaves, or other vegetation.
California quail lay about 6 to 28 eggs, with 13 to 17 eggs reported as the average range in one ADW account. Incubation lasts about 22 to 23 days.
Gambel's quail produce clutches averaging about 10 to 12 eggs. Their nests are bowl-shaped and can measure about 13 to 18 cm across.
Montezuma quail have an average clutch size of about 10 eggs. Incubation and brooding take place close to dense ground cover, and chicks begin foraging soon after hatching.
Mountain quail lay about 9 to 10 eggs. Incubation lasts roughly 20 to 26 days, and the chicks leave the nest with their parents within hours after hatching.
Japanese quail lay about 7 to 14 eggs per clutch in the ADW account, with incubation lasting about 19 to 20 days. Chicks reach sexual maturity at about 4 weeks in the source description.
Common quail lay about 8 to 13 eggs per clutch in Europe. Incubation lasts about 17 to 20 days, and young birds can fly at around 11 days old.
Quail chicks are precocial. They hatch with feathers and can move soon after leaving the egg rather than remaining helpless inside the nest for a long period.
Which quail species migrate, and which species are threatened?
Migration differs sharply between species. The common quail is the only true quail identified in the 2025 global review as a fully migratory species, with a range extending across Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Mountain quail also show movement in parts of their range, but this movement is linked to elevation rather than the long continental migration pattern seen in common quail.
Gambel's quail are non-migratory. Movements of a covey are reported at less than 2 km in the ADW account.
Conservation status also differs between species. A 2025 review based on IUCN assessments examined 47 true quail species and found that 34 were classified as Least Concern, while 12 fell into Near Threatened or threatened categories. The New Zealand quail, Coturnix novaezelandiae, is extinct.
The Himalayan quail, Ophrysia superciliosa, is classified as Critically Endangered. The Manipur bush quail, Perdicula manipurensis, is classified as Endangered.
Habitat loss is a major conservation issue for ground-living birds. Changes in grasslands, agricultural practices, shrublands, forests, and mountain habitats can reduce the cover and food resources quail need.
Rainfall also has a direct connection with reproduction in desert species. Research on Gambel's quail found that precipitation and temperature influence plant growth and reproductive success.
Quail therefore represent a broad group rather than a single bird. A 40 g king quail and a 200 g Gambel's quail live very different lives, while a 155 g common quail can travel between continents during migration.
How many species of quail are there?
The name quail refers to dozens of species rather than one bird. They belong mainly to two groups: Old World quail in the family Phasianidae and New World quail in the family Odontophoridae. The exact number depends on the taxonomic system used, but the global quail group contains species spread across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. Species include the common quail, Japanese quail, rain quail, king quail, California quail, Gambel's quail, northern bobwhite, mountain quail, and Montezuma quail.
What do quail look like?
Quail have compact bodies, short tails, rounded wings, and strong legs. Their plumage changes between species, but brown, gray, black, white, chestnut, and buff markings appear frequently. Several species have a distinctive crest or head plume. The California quail has a forward-curving black plume, while Gambel's quail has a taller black head plume. Many quail have cryptic feathers that blend with grass, soil, leaves, and dry vegetation.
Can quail fly?
quail can fly. Most species spend a large part of their lives on the ground, but they can produce fast, powerful flights when escaping predators or moving between suitable areas. Their rounded wings allow them to leave the ground quickly, although their flight is not built for long soaring like that of large birds of prey.
What predators eat quail?
Quail face predators at almost every stage of life. Eggs and chicks are vulnerable to snakes, rodents, crows, ravens, and other nest predators. Adult quail can be attacked by hawks, falcons, owls, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, and other carnivorous mammals. Staying close to vegetation gives quail cover, while their sudden flight can help them escape a predator that gets too close.
What is the difference between quail and partridge?
Quail and partridges are closely related ground birds, and their common names can cause confusion. Both groups belong to the order Galliformes, but the name quail is used for birds from more than one family. Old World quail belong to Phasianidae, while New World quail belong to Odontophoridae. Partridges are also placed within Phasianidae, but they represent different genera and species. A bird called a quail in one region is not necessarily closely related to a bird called a quail somewhere else.
Sources:
- Animal Diversity Web – Common Quail
- Animal Diversity Web – Japanese Quail
- Animal Diversity Web – Rain Quail
- Animal Diversity Web – Harlequin Quail
- Animal Diversity Web – Stubble Quail
- Animal Diversity Web – King Quail
- Animal Diversity Web – California Quail
- Animal Diversity Web – Gambel's Quail
- Animal Diversity Web – Northern Bobwhite
- Animal Diversity Web – Mountain Quail
- Animal Diversity Web – Montezuma Quail
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology – New World Quail
- British Trust for Ornithology – Common Quail
- Wildlife Biology – Global Review of True Quail Conservation Status
Photo source: Wikimedia Commons – Rain Quail in Bhigwan August 2025 by Tisha Mukherjee 08.jpg
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