Geographic Range
Rain quail are found in India, Sri Lanka,and Myanmar.
- Biogeographic Regions
- oriental
- australian
Habitat
These quail are found in monsoonal areas (Finn, 1911) and open grasslands (Kuz'mina,
1992). They are terrestrial birds and are adapted to tropical areas (Harper, 1986).
They may be found at heights of 2000 to 2500 m in the Himalayas (Johnsgard, 1988;
Alderton, 1992).
- Habitat Regions
- tropical
- terrestrial
- Terrestrial Biomes
- savanna or grassland
- mountains
Physical Description
Rain quail are approximately 15 cm (Robbins, 1979; Harper, 1986) to 16 cm (Alderton,
1992) in length. The male's wing and tail measurements are 93 to 96 mm and 29 to
32 mm, respectively. The females' wings are 90 to 97 mm and their tails are 28 to
31 mm (Johnsgard, 1988). Males have black throat markings and their breast feathers
are buff with black streaking. The streaking becomes a patch as the bird increases
in age (Finn, 1911). Females lack these markings (Harper, 1986).
- Other Physical Features
- endothermic
- bilateral symmetry
- Sexual Dimorphism
- sexes colored or patterned differently
Reproduction
The pair-bond of rain quail is very strong (Johnsgard, 1988).
- Mating System
- monogamous
Breeding occurs during the wet season and depends on local rainfall patterns. Generally, rain quail breed from March to October. Their nests are constructed in standing crops or thin grasses in unlined hollows in the ground (Finn, 1911) and are sometimes hidden in scrub, low bush (Johnsgard, 1988), or grass (Alderton, 1992).
Clutch size is usually four to six eggs, occasionally more may be laid (Alderton,
1992). Sometimes more than one female lays eggs in a single nest. The eggs are approximately
27.4 mm by 20.8 mm and weigh 6.5 g (Johnsgard, 1988). Incubation usually lasts 16
(Alderton, 1992) to 17 days (Robbins, 1979), but may last 18 to 19 days (Johnsgard,
1988). The chicks remain with their parents for approximately eight months (Johnsgard,
1988).
- Key Reproductive Features
- iteroparous
- seasonal breeding
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- fertilization
- oviparous
Incubation usually lasts 16 (Alderton, 1992) to 17 days (Robbins, 1979), and may last
18 to 19 days (Johnsgard, 1988). Males sometimes become aggressive soon after the
chicks hatch (Alderton, 1992). Males have been reported to help females in the care
of the brood. Chicks are precocial and remain with their parents for approximately
eight months (Johnsgard, 1988).
- Parental Investment
- no parental involvement
- precocial
- pre-fertilization
-
pre-hatching/birth
- protecting
-
pre-weaning/fledging
-
provisioning
- male
- female
-
provisioning
Lifespan/Longevity
We do not have information on lifespan/longevity for this species at this time.
Behavior
Rain quail are partially migratory, prefering, for example, the monsoon season in
India and Myanmar. They shift their residence according to the rain, hence their
common name (Finn, 1911).
Home Range
We do not have information on the home range of this species at this time.
Communication and Perception
Males utter a two note call that sounds like "whit-whit" (Finn, 1911).
- Communication Channels
- acoustic
Food Habits
Rain quail eat grass and weed seeds as well as small insects and insect larvae (Finn,
1911; Johnsgard, 1988; Alderton, 1992).
- Primary Diet
- omnivore
- Animal Foods
- insects
- Plant Foods
- seeds, grains, and nuts
Predation
We do not have information on predation for this species at this time.
Ecosystem Roles
Rain quail have an impact on the plants and insects they eat.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Sometimes, these quail are kept in aviaries.
- Positive Impacts
- pet trade
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
There are no known adverse affects of rain quail on humans.
Conservation Status
Rain quail are not listed by either the IUCN or Cites.
Other Comments
Rain quail are also known as black-breasted quail (Finn, 1911). The earliest account of captive breeding is in England by Seth-Smith (Finn, 1911) in 1903 (Hopkinson, 1926; Alderton, 1992).
Rain quail are closely related to harlequin quail,
Coturnix delegorguei
(Johnsgard, 1988).
Additional Links
Contributors
Alaine Camfield (editor), Animal Diversity Web.
Janice Pappas (author), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
- oriental
-
found in the oriental region of the world. In other words, India and southeast Asia.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- Australian
-
Living in Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, New Guinea and associated islands.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- tropical
-
the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees south.
- terrestrial
-
Living on the ground.
- tropical savanna and grassland
-
A terrestrial biome. Savannas are grasslands with scattered individual trees that do not form a closed canopy. Extensive savannas are found in parts of subtropical and tropical Africa and South America, and in Australia.
- savanna
-
A grassland with scattered trees or scattered clumps of trees, a type of community intermediate between grassland and forest. See also Tropical savanna and grassland biome.
- temperate grassland
-
A terrestrial biome found in temperate latitudes (>23.5° N or S latitude). Vegetation is made up mostly of grasses, the height and species diversity of which depend largely on the amount of moisture available. Fire and grazing are important in the long-term maintenance of grasslands.
- mountains
-
This terrestrial biome includes summits of high mountains, either without vegetation or covered by low, tundra-like vegetation.
- monogamous
-
Having one mate at a time.
- iteroparous
-
offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
- seasonal breeding
-
breeding is confined to a particular season
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- fertilization
-
union of egg and spermatozoan
- internal fertilization
-
fertilization takes place within the female's body
- oviparous
-
reproduction in which eggs are released by the female; development of offspring occurs outside the mother's body.
- young precocial
-
young are relatively well-developed when born
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- migratory
-
makes seasonal movements between breeding and wintering grounds
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- pet trade
-
the business of buying and selling animals for people to keep in their homes as pets.
- omnivore
-
an animal that mainly eats all kinds of things, including plants and animals
- endothermic
-
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
References
Alderton, D. 1992. The Atlas of Quails . Neptune City, NJ: T.F.H. Publications.
Finn, F. 1911. Game Birds of India and Asia . Calcutta: Thacker, Spink & Co.
Harper, D. 1986. Pet Birds for Home and Garden . London: Salamander Books Ltd.
Hopkinson, E. 1926. Records of Birds Bred in Captivity . London: H.F. & G. Witherby.
Johnsgard, P. 1988. The Quails, Partridges, and Francolins of the World . Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Kuz'mina, M. 1992. Tetraonidae and Phasianidae of the USSR: Ecology and Morphology . Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Libraries.
Robbins, G. 1979. Quail in captivity. Avicultural Magazine , 85(4): 217-223.