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Description

A selection of unrelated birds commonly known as quail, to scale.

Human imitation of bird calls often go hand-in-hand with their common names. The medieval Latin coacula (converted later by the Old French quaille) is a good replication of the call from the the common quail Coturnix coturnix, and is considered the origin for the common name of quail. Although there is some uncertainty, coturnix may be a mixture of Proto-European words meaning crow (as to call) and flee - both terms which accurately fit with quail behaviour. The common quail is a small species of phasianid gamefowl.

* Harlequin quail - Within the large family of phasianids are a wide range of familiar fowl such as pheasants, junglefowl, grouse, peafowl, partridges and the Old World quails. The latter include four genera of small-bodied gamebirds found across Eurasia, Africa and Australasia.

* Mountain quail - Despite some similarities, the odontophorids are a very separate family of galliforms which show convergent features with the Old World quail. The group is almost totally restricted to the Americas, apart from two species of African partridge which have been recently considered part of the family. Physically New World quail are larger, possess a deeper tooth-edged beak and lack any leg spurs compared to their Old World counterparts.

* Buttonquail - Vaguely resembling a small quail, the exact relationships between buttonquail and other groups has been surrounded in confusion. Traditionally they have been placed amongst the galliforms or the gruiforms (cranes, rails), however molecular studies have shown turnicids to be a basal family within the charadiforms (waders). They differ from true quails by the lack of a hind toe and a crop, but possessing an enlarged trachea for vocalisation in females. Buttonquails are found across Africa, Southern + Eastern Asia, and Australia (with the only European population now extinct).

Description

A selection of unrelated birds commonly known as quail, to scale.

Human imitation of bird calls often go hand-in-hand with their common names. The medieval Latin coacula (converted later by the Old French quaille) is a good replication of the call from the the common quail Coturnix coturnix, and is considered the origin for the common name of quail. Although there is some uncertainty, coturnix may be a mixture of Proto-European words meaning crow (as to call) and flee - both terms which accurately fit with quail behaviour. The common quail is a small species of phasianid gamefowl.

* Harlequin quail - Within the large family of phasianids are a wide range of familiar fowl such as pheasants, junglefowl, grouse, peafowl, partridges and the Old World quails. The latter include four genera of small-bodied gamebirds found across Eurasia, Africa and Australasia.

* Mountain quail - Despite some similarities, the odontophorids are a very separate family of galliforms which show convergent features with the Old World quail. The group is almost totally restricted to the Americas, apart from two species of African partridge which have been recently considered part of the family. Physically New World quail are larger, possess a deeper tooth-edged beak and lack any leg spurs compared to their Old World counterparts.

* Buttonquail - Vaguely resembling a small quail, the exact relationships between buttonquail and other groups has been surrounded in confusion. Traditionally they have been placed amongst the galliforms or the gruiforms (cranes, rails), however molecular studies have shown turnicids to be a basal family within the charadiforms (waders). They differ from true quails by the lack of a hind toe and a crop, but possessing an enlarged trachea for vocalisation in females. Buttonquails are found across Africa, Southern + Eastern Asia, and Australia (with the only European population now extinct).