Coturnix ypsilophora

Geographic Range

In Australia, brown quail are found along the eastern coast and in the extreme north. They are also found in New Guinea, Tasmania, and as a rare siting in Fiji. They were also introduced in New Zealand (Alderton, 1992; Heather and Roberson, 1997).

• Biogeographic Regions
• australian australian
  • native native
• oceanic islands oceanic islands
  • introduced introduced

Habitat

Brown quail are terrestrial, tropical and temperate species. They require habitat with adequate cover (Alderton, 1992) and prefer rank grasses, moist meadows, and generally heavy cover, but have been found in croplands. They will live in the vicinity of creeks or swamps, but seek higher ground in the event of heavy rainfall. In New Guinea, brown quail have been found at 3600 m in alpine grasslands (Johnsgard, 1988).

• Habitat Regions
• temperate temperate
• tropical tropical
• terrestrial terrestrial

• Terrestrial Biomes
• savanna or grassland savanna or grassland
• mountains mountains

• Wetlands
• swamp swamp

• Other Habitat Features
• agricultural agricultural

Physical Description

Brown quail are 18 cm in length (Alderton, 1992) and weigh 75 to 92 g. Wing length is 82 to 109 mm for males and 82 to 103 mm for females. Tail length for both is 43 to 51 mm (Johnsgard, 1988).

Both males and females are dark brown from their crown to their back. There are faint whitish and blackish streaks on the wings. The breast and abdomen are a golden buff to tawny color; the male's black horizontal markings are not as prominent as the female's. The male has dark brown on the sides of his head with a small buff colored area on his throat. The female has a larger patch of cream to buff coloration on her throat with lighter brown on the sides of her head (Alderton, 1992). The flanks and underparts are barred and are visible at close range (Johnsgard, 1988).

• Other Physical Features
• endothermic endothermic
• bilateral symmetry bilateral symmetry

• Sexual Dimorphism
• sexes colored or patterned differently

Reproduction

We do not have information on mating systems for this species at this time.

Egg laying occurs at the end of the wet season (Alderton, 1992). In southeastern Austraila this is from October to December and in northern tropical areas from January to May (Johnsgard, 1988).

In Australia, seven to eleven eggs are laid per clutch. In New Guinea, a clutch consists of four to six eggs (Johnsgard 1988). In captivity, ten to 18 eggs are laid per clutch (Alderton 1992). Each egg is approximately 30 by 23.6 mm and weighs 9.2 g (Johnsgard 1988).

• Key Reproductive Features
• iteroparous iteroparous
• seasonal breeding seasonal breeding
• gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
• sexual sexual
• fertilization fertilization
  • internal internal
• oviparous oviparous

Brown quail chicks are precocial.

• Parental Investment
• no parental involvement
• precocial precocial
• pre-fertilization

Lifespan/Longevity

We do not have information on lifespan/longevity for this species at this time.

Behavior

When flushed, brown quail will fly at a low angle whereby their brownish coloration is seen from above and below (Johnsgard, 1988).

• Key Behaviors
• flies
• motile motile

Home Range

We do not have information on home range for this species at this time.

Communication and Perception

The usual call for brown quail is a whistling crow uttered as "tu-whee" or "gop-warr," rising in pitch with the second syllable drawn out. When flushed from cover, brown quail utter a cackling call (Johnsgard, 1988).

• Communication Channels
• acoustic acoustic

• Perception Channels
• visual visual
• tactile tactile
• acoustic acoustic
• chemical chemical

Food Habits

Brown quail consume grass and weed seeds and other grain-like plant matter (Johnsgard, 1988).

• Primary Diet
• herbivore herbivore
  • granivore granivore

• Plant Foods
• seeds, grains, and nuts

Predation

We do not have information on predation for this species at this time.

Ecosystem Roles

Brown quail have an impact on the vegetation they eat.

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Brown quail may be found in aviaries.

• Positive Impacts
• pet trade pet trade

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

There are no known adverse affects of brown quail on humans.

Conservation Status

Although there has been an increase in some types of suitable habitat for brown quail, such as stubble fields, the draining of wetlands destroys their habitat. On the balance, populations of brown quail have been declining as they face a net loss of habitat (Johnsgard, 1988). This species is not listed by either the IUCN or CITES.

Other Comments

A number of subspecies of brown quail are recognized. They are: Coturnix ypsilophora ypsilophora , C. y. australis , C. y. queenslandicus , C. y. cervinus , C. y. dogwa , C. y. plumbeus , C. y. saturatior , C. y. mafulu , C. y. lamonti , C. y. monticola , C. y. pallidior , and C. y. raaltenii (Johnsgard, 1988).

DNA evidence shows that Coturnix ypsilophora australis is quite distinct from Coturnix ; therefore, resurrection of the formerly accepted genus Synoicus may be warranted (Johnsgard, 1988).

Additional Links

Encyclopedia of Life

Contributors

Alaine Camfield (editor), Animal Diversity Web.

Janice Pappas (author), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

References

Alderton, D. 1992. The Atlas of Quails . Neptune City, NJ: T.F.H. Publications.

Heather, B., H. Robertson. 1997. The Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand . Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Johnsgard, P. 1988. The Quails, Partridges, and Francolins of the World . Oxford: Oxford University Press.