Old World quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds in the pheasant family Phasianidae. New World quail are also found in the Galliformes, but are not in the same family (Odontophoridae). Buttonquails are not closely related at all, but are named for their similar appearance.^[1] They are presently found in the Turnicidae family in the Charadriiformes, more closely related to shorebirds, gulls and auks.

The collective noun for a group of quail is bevy or covey.^[2]

Taxonomy

Old World quail may refer to the following species of Phasianidae:

• Genus Coturnix
  • Common Quail, Coturnix coturnix
  • Japanese Quail, Coturnix japonica
  • Stubble Quail, Coturnix pectoralis
  • †New Zealand Quail, Coturnix novaezelandiae (extinct)
  • Rain Quail, Coturnix coromandelica
  • Harlequin Quail, Coturnix delegorguei
  • †Canary Islands Quail, Coturnix gomerae (fossil)
  • Brown Quail, Coturnix ypsilophora
  • Blue Quail, Coturnix adansonii
  • King Quail, Coturnix chinensis
• Genus Anurophasis
  • Snow Mountains Quail, Anurophasis monorthonyx
• Genus Perdicula
  • Jungle Bush Quail, Perdicula asiatica
  • Rock Bush Quail, Perdicula argoondah
  • Painted Bush Quail, Perdicula erythrorhyncha
  • Manipur Bush Quail, Perdicula manipurensis
• Genus Ophrysia
  • Himalayan Quail, Ophrysia superciliosa (critically endangered/extinct)

Behaviour

Old World Quail are small, plump terrestrial birds. They are seed eaters, but will also take insects and similar small prey. They nest on the ground and are capable of short, rapid bursts of flight. Some species, such as the Japanese and Common Quail, are migratory and fly for long distances.^{[3] [4]} Some quail are farmed in large numbers. The Common and Japanese (or coturnix) quail are both raised for table meat or to produce eggs. They are also readily hunted, often artificially stocked on game farms or to supplement wild populations.

Migrating Common Quail are known to eat some poisonous seeds with no apparent ill effects but store the poison in their body fat, poisoning people who subsequently eat these birds; this condition is known as "coturnism".^[5]

References

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The Argus is a type of bird in the family Phasianidae and is closely related to pheasants and peafowl. It has hundreds or thousands of tiny white spots on its plumage pattern, and thus its naming might have been in reference to the mythical hundred-eyed giant argus or Panoptes.

There are two genera of birds that are considered Arguses: Rheinardia and Argusianus. Within these genera there are two recognized species each with two subspecies. Argusianus also has a mysterious second species that is sometime thought to have gone extinct, but most likely is based on a simple aberration.

In popular culture, the Argus was the animal form inspiration for the multicolored NBC mascot/branding element hand-sketched in 1956 by John J. Graham. To this day, inside NBC the bird is known to be an Argus, not a peacock which the general public believes to be the bird type. Historically NBC has made little effort^{[citation needed]} outside of its company walls to correct the general public on the Argus/peacock matter.

• Crested Argus (genus Rheinardia)
  • Crested Argus Pheasant (R. ocellata)

• Great Argus (genus Argusianus)
  • Great Argus Pheasant (A. argus)

Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae. The Buttonquail are not quail at all, are named more for their appearance superficially resembling quail, and are members of the Turnicidae family, more closely related to the Charadriiformes. The King Quail, a member of the Old World quail, is often sold in the pet trade and is commonly referred to there as a "button quail". Many of the common larger species are farm raised for table food or egg consumption, and are hunted on game farms or in the wild, where they are sometimes artificially stocked to supplement the wild population, or extend into areas they are normally not found naturally.

The collective noun for a group of quail is called a covey.^[1]

Taxonomy

New World quail may refer to the following species of Odontophoridae:

• Genus Oreortyx
  • Mountain Quail, Oreortyx pictus
• Genus Callipepla
  • Scaled Quail, (commonly called Blue Quail) Callipepla squamata
  • Elegant Quail, Callipepla douglasii
  • California Quail, Callipepla californica
  • Gambel's Quail, Callipepla gambelii
• Genus Philortyx
  • Banded Quail, Philortyx fasciatus
• Genus Colinus
  • Northern Bobwhite, Colinus virginianus
  • Black-throated Bobwhite, Colinus nigrogularis
  • Spot-bellied Bobwhite, Colinus leucopogon
  • Crested Bobwhite, Colinus cristatus
• Genus Odontophorus
  • Marbled Wood Quail, Odontophorus gujanensis
  • Spot-winged Wood Quail, Odontophorus capueira
  • Black-eared Wood Quail, Odontophorus melanotis
  • Rufous-fronted Wood Quail, Odontophorus erythrops
  • Black-fronted Wood Quail, Odontophorus atrifrons
  • Chestnut Wood Quail, Odontophorus hyperythrus
  • Dark-backed Wood Quail, Odontophorus melanonotus
  • Rufous-breasted Wood Quail, Odontophorus speciosus
  • Tacarcuna Wood Quail, Odontophorus dialeucos
  • Gorgeted Wood Quail, Odontophorus strophium
  • Venezuelan Wood Quail, Odontophorus columbianus
  • Black-breasted Wood Quail, Odontophorus leucolaemus
  • Stripe-faced Wood Quail, Odontophorus balliviani
  • Starred Wood Quail, Odontophorus stellatus
  • Spotted Wood Quail, Odontophorus guttatus
• Genus Dactylortyx
  • Singing Quail, Dactylortyx thoracicus
• Genus Cyrtonyx
  • Montezuma Quail, Cyrtonyx montezumae
  • Ocellated Quail, Cyrtonyx ocellatus
• Genus Rhynchortyx
  • Tawny-faced Quail, Rhynchortyx cinctus

Old World quail may refer to the following species of Phasianidae:

• Genus Coturnix
  • Common Quail, Coturnix coturnix
  • Japanese Quail, Coturnix japonica
  • Stubble Quail, Coturnix pectoralis
  • †New Zealand Quail, Coturnix novaezelandiae (extinct)
  • Rain Quail, Coturnix coromandelica
  • Harlequin Quail, Coturnix delegorguei
  • †Canary Islands Quail, Coturnix gomerae (fossil)
  • Brown Quail, Coturnix ypsilophora
  • Blue Quail, Coturnix adansonii
  • King Quail, Coturnix chinensis
• Genus Anurophasis
  • Snow Mountains Quail, Anurophasis monorthonyx
• Genus Perdicula
  • Jungle Bush Quail, Perdicula asiatica
  • Rock Bush Quail, Perdicula argoondah
  • Painted Bush Quail, Perdicula erythrorhyncha
  • Manipur Bush Quail, Perdicula manipurensis
• Genus Ophrysia
  • Himalayan Quail, Ophrysia superciliosa (critically endangered/extinct)

References

Eukaryota

The Phasianidae is a family of birds which consists of the pheasants and partridges, including the junglefowl (including chicken), Old World quail, francolins, monals and peafowl. The family is a large one, containing 38 genera and around 138 species. The family is occasionally broken up into two subfamilies, the Phasianinae, which holds 49 species of pheasant, and the Perdicinae, which holds the 106 remaining species. Sometimes additional families and birds are treated as being in this family as well; the American Ornithologists' Union includes Tetraonidae (the grouse), Numididae (guineafowls), and Meleagrididae (turkeys) in Phasianidae as subfamilies.

Distribution

The pheasants and their allies are an Old World family, with a distribution that includes most of Europe and Asia (except the far north), all of Africa except the driest deserts and down into much of eastern Australia and (formerly) New Zealand. The greatest diversity of species is in Southeast Asia and Africa. Amongst the pheasants, with the exception of the Congo Peafowl, the distribution is entirely restricted to Asia; the Perdicinae have a much more widespread distribution. Within their range they occupy almost every available habitat except for boreal forest and tundra.

The family is generally sedentary and resident, although some quails undertake long migrations. Several species in the family have been widely introduced around the world, particularly pheasants which have been introduced to Europe, Australia and the Americas. Captive populations of peacocks and chickens have also escaped and become feral.

Description

Phasianids are terrestrial, ground living species. They are variable in size and ranging from 43 g, in the case of the Asian Blue Quail, to 6 kg in the case of the Indian Peafowl. There is generally sexual dimorphism in size, with males tending to be larger than females. They are generally plump, with broad relatively short wings and strong legs. Many have a spur on their legs, a feature shared with guineafowl and turkeys but no other galliform birds. The bill is short and generally strong, particularly in species that dig in order to obtain food. Males of the larger species often have brightly coloured plumage as well as facial ornamentations such as wattles or crests.

Behaviour

The pheasants and partridges have a varied diet, with foods taken ranging from purely vegetarian diets of seeds, leaves, fruits, tubers and roots, to small animals including insects, insect grubs and even small reptiles. Most species either specialise in feeding on plant matter or are predatory, although the chicks of most species are insectivorous.

In addition to the variation in diet there is a considerable amount of variation in breeding strategies amongst the Phasianidae. Compared to birds in general there is a large number of species that do not engage in monogamy (the typical breeding system of most birds). The francolins of Africa and some partridges are reportedly monogamous, but polygamy has been reported in the pheasants and junglefowl, some quail, and the breeding displays of peacocks have been compared to those of a lek. Nesting usually occurs on the ground; only the tragopans nest higher up in stumps of bushes. Nests can vary from monds of vegetation to slight scrapes in the ground. As many as 18 eggs can be laid in the nest, although 7-12 is the more usual number, with smaller numbers in tropical species. Incubation is almost always performed by the female only, and last from 14–30 days depending on the species.

Relationship with humans

Several species of pheasant and partridge are extremely important to humans. The Red Junglefowl of Southeast Asia is the wild ancestor of the domesticated chicken, the most important bird in agriculture. Ring-necked Pheasants, several partridge and quail species and some francolins have been widely introduced and managed as game birds for hunting. Several species are threatened by human activities.

Genera

Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus

• Quails:
  • Coturnix (9 species)
    • Anurophasis monorthonyx (Snow Mountain Quail)
  • Perdicula (4 species)
    • Ophrysia superciliosa (Himalayan Quail)
• Partridges
  • Alectoris (7 species)
  • Ammoperdix (2 species)
  • Arborophila (Hill Partridges, 18 species)
  • Bambusicola (Bamboo-partridges, 2 species)
  • Caloperdix (Ferruginous Partridge, 1 species)
  • Haematortyx (Crimson-headed Partridge, 1 species)
  • Lerwa (Snow Partridge, 1 species)
  • Margaroperdix (Madagascar Partridge, 1 species)
  • Melanoperdix (Black Wood-partridge, 1 species)
  • Perdix (3 species)
  • Ptilopachus (Stone Partridge, 1 species)
  • Rhizothera (Long-billed Partridge, 1 species)
  • Rollulus (Crested Wood Partridge, 1 species)
  • Xenoperdix (2 species)
• Pheasants:
  • Argusianus (2 species)
  • Catreus (Cheer Pheasant, 1 species)
  • Chrysolophus (2 species)
  • Crossoptilon (Eared Pheasants, 4 species)
  • Ithaginis (Blood Pheasant, 1 species)
  • Lophura (10 species)
  • Phasianus (2 species)
  • Polyplectron (Peacock Pheasants, 7 species)
  • Pucrasia (Koklass Pheasant, 1 species)
  • Rheinardia (Crested Argus Pheasant, 1 species)
  • Syrmaticus (5 species)
• Snowcocks
  • Tetraogallus (5 species)
• Francolins
  • Francolinus (41 species)
• Spurfowls
  • Galloperdix (3 species)
• Tragopans
  • Tragopan (5 species)
• Monals
  • Lophophorus (3 species)
• Peafowl (may be part of a distinct family)
  • Pavo (2 species)
  • Afropavo (Congo Peafowl, 1 species)
• Junglefowl
  • Gallus (5 species, including the domestic chicken)

References

• McGowan, P.J.K. (1994) Family Phasianidae (Pheasants and Partridges) P.p. 434-479 in del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A. & Sargatal, J. (editors). (1994). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: New World Vultures to Guineafowl. Lynx Edicions. ISBN 8487334156

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