Coturnix delegorguei

Geographic Range

Harlequin quail are found in Kenya, Uganda (Jackson, 1926), east to the Ivory Coast and to south Africa (Clancy, 1967; Alderton, 1992) except for the Congo basin and Namibia (Johnsgard, 1988). They are also found in most of Madagascar (Johnsgard, 1988).

• Biogeographic Regions
• ethiopian ethiopian
  • native native

Habitat

These quail are tropical, terrestrial species that inhabit open grasslands (Jackson, 1926; Alderton, 1992). Their habitat, and therefore their distribution is restricted by forested areas (Kuz'mina, 1992). However, these quail will inhabit cultivated areas (Clancy, 1967).

• Habitat Regions
• tropical tropical
• terrestrial terrestrial

• Terrestrial Biomes
• savanna or grassland savanna or grassland

• Other Habitat Features
• agricultural agricultural

Physical Description

Male harlequin quail have a black and white facial mask, black chest edged with rufous-colored feathers, black abdomen, and rufous-colored flanks. Females have a faint black necklace, brown-spotted abdomen, and lightly rufous-colored flanks (Jackson, 1926; Trollope, 1966). These quail range in length from 16 (Alderton, 1992) to 20 cm (Jackson, 1926) and weigh 57 to 71 g.

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

• Sexual Dimorphism
• sexes colored or patterned differently

Reproduction

Harlequin quail exhibit what is called tidbitting, whereby the male offers an insect to the female. The male will also raise his wings slightly and chase the female (Trollope, 1966). Males are aggressive toward one another in preparation for the breeding season (Clancy, 1967). The pair-bond between males and females is very strong (Johnsgard, 1988).

• Mating System
• monogamous monogamous

Harlequin quail nest on the ground in a scrape lined with weeds. Usually, the nest is hidden within grassy vegetation (Trollope, 1966; Clancy, 1967).

The hen lays from three (Alderton, 1992) to nine eggs in a clutch (Jackson, 192; Trollope, 1966). The eggs are light buff or cream-colored to olive brown with heavy reddish-brown, dark chestnut, or purple-brown markings and are 27 to 31 mm long by 22 to 25 mm wide (Jackson, 1926; Trollope, 1966). Incubation lasts 17 to 18 days (Clancy, 1967; Alderton, 1992). The hen may lay two to three clutches per season (Alderton, 1992).

In southern Africa, these quail breed from October to March, most breeding occurs in late December to January. Rain is the main factor controlling the breeding season (Clancy, 1967; Alderton, 1992).

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

Chicks are precocial, and are a yellowish-buff color with heavy dark-brown stripes and are reared by the female. They can scratch for food on their own at thirteen days old and will take dust baths at fifteen days old (Trollope, 1966).

• Parental Investment
• no parental involvement
• precocial precocial
• pre-fertilization
• pre-hatching/birth
  • protecting
• pre-weaning/fledging
  • provisioning
    • female

Lifespan/Longevity

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

Behavior

Harlequin quail are migratory at the northern and southern most parts of their range (Clancy, 1967; Johnsgard, 1988; Alderton, 1992).

• Key Behaviors
• flies
• motile motile
• migratory migratory

Home Range

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

Communication and Perception

When isolated from each other, males and females will call to one another. Males utter a loud "whit-whit-wheet, whit-whit wheet-whit," and females answer with "quick-ic" or "queet-ic" (Trollope, 1966). When flushed from hiding, a squeaky "kree" is heard (Clancy, 1967).

• Communication Channels
• acoustic acoustic

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

Food Habits

Harlequin quail eat a variety of weed and grass seeds including mixed millets and maw (Trollope, 1967) and shoots and leaves of plants (Clancy, 1967). They also eat small worms, insects and their larvae (such as white worms, maggots, and mealworms) (Trollope, 1966) and small land mollusks (Clancy, 1967).

• Primary Diet
• carnivore carnivore
  • insectivore insectivore
  • molluscivore molluscivore
• herbivore herbivore
  • folivore folivore
  • granivore granivore
• omnivore omnivore

• Animal Foods
• insects
• mollusks
• terrestrial worms

• Plant Foods
• leaves
• seeds, grains, and nuts

Predation

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

Ecosystem Roles

Harlequin quail affect both the plants they eat and the prey they feed on.

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Harlequin quail consume weed seeds and help prevent growth of unwanted plants.

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

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

Conservation Status

Harlequin quail are not listed by either the IUCN or CITES.

Other Comments

Harlequin quail were first bred in captivity by D. Seth-Smith in 1906 in England (Hopkinson, 1926; Trollope, 1966).

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.

Clancy, P. 1967. Gamebirds of Southern Africa . Cape Town: Purnell & Sons Ltd.

Hopkinson, E. 1926. Records of Birds Bred in Captivity . London: H.F. & G. Witherby.

Jackson, F. 1926. Notes on the Game Birds of Kenya and Uganda . London: Williams & Norgate, Ltd.

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.

Trollope, J. 1966. Some observations on the Harlequin Quail. Avicultural Magazine , 72(1): 5-6.