Key information
Quails are distinctive due to the combination of their stocky bodies and long, pointed wings. Their upperparts are brown, streaked and barred with buff, while their underparts are a warm buffy orange.
Rarely seen, they are more often heard giving a distinctive “wet-my-lips” call.
Their breeding range reaches as far north as the UK, where they are the only migrant species of the Phasianidae family, which includes heavy ground-living birds such as the pheasant.
Due to their historical decline, quails are on the Amber List but are now in partial recovery. They are also listed on Schedule 1 of The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
What they eat:
Seeds and insects.
Measurements:
- Length:
- 16-18cm
- Wingspan:
- 32-35cm
- Weight:
- 75-135g
Population:
- UK breeding:
- 540 males
Identifying features:
Quail
