Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica)

Other Names (World)
Japanese Quail, Asian Migratory Quail

Family
Phasianidae (Pheasants, Partridges, Turkeys, Grouse)

Size
19 cm

First Described (Guide)
Temminck & Schlegel, 1849

Habitat
Open habitats, including meadows, steppes, and dry mountain slopes near water. Also grassland, cultivated land.

Range (Guide)

Bhutan, China (mainland) (B), India, Japan (B), Laos, Mongolia (B), Myanmar (B), North Korea (B), Russia (Asian) (B), South Korea, Vietnam.

Vagrant to Cambodia, Philippines, Thailand.

Introduced to Italy (B) (NB), USA (B).

Breeds in eastern Asia, from northern Mongolia, north-eastern through Baikal region to Vitim region in east-central Russia, east to Sakhalin I, and south to Japan, Korea and north-eastern China (eastern Shandong). Winters southern from central Japan and central China western through north-western Thailand and northern Burma to north-eastern India (Assam) and Bhutan.

Records from north-western Bangladesh usually ascribed to Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix), but may actually be this species. May breed in Buthan and Burma. Introduced to Hawaiian Is.

Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010) and decreasing.

Status NT
Argicultural changes to habitat and hunting are the main threats.

For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Food
A variety of plant materials. Terrestrial invertebrates in summer.

Voice
Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (52)...)

Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica) [XC753225]
by Christoph Bock from Shanghai, Shanghai, China (song)

Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica) [XC485655]
by Stanislas Wroza from Kabansky District, Buryatiya Republits, Russian Federation (song)

Subspecies
Forms a superspecies with Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix), and possibly also with Stubble Quail (Coturnix pectoralis). Has also been considered a subspecies of Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix), but they are apparently sympatric in Mongolia.

No subspecies.

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

For more information about the Japanese Quail see... Show Articles

BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Articles about the Japanese Quail

If you would like to read any articles about the Japanese Quail...

Show Articles (0)

No Pictures of Japanese Quail

If Birdpedia has no pictures of Japanese Quail or you would like to see more, then try the following...

Show External Images from BING

From BING (5)

No Videos of Japanese Quail

If Birdpedia has no videos of Japanese Quail or you would like to see more, then try the following..

Show External Videos

From BING (0)

Where can I observe this species?

Select an area (or leave blank) to see locations where this species has been recorded.

Area

All

Optional: Complete the following if you wish to restrict the reserve to within a given distance of a location.

Please enter the Latitude and Longitiude of a given location together with the maximum distance (km) to display a list of reserves within that distance. You must enter a Latitude, a Longitude and a distance greater than 0.

Latitude: (Decimal degrees takes precedence)

Deg	Min	Sec			Decimal degrees (Include compass setting or value)
				or	GPS help

Longitude: (Decimal degrees takes precedence)

Deg	Min	Sec			Decimal degrees (Include compass setting or value)
				or	Find GPS using Google Maps

Distance	Bearing
		Get Sample GPS readings

On What Field Trips was this species observed?

Select an area (or leave blank), and a date range, to see field trips on which this species has been recorded.

Area

All

From	To

Latitude: (Decimal degrees takes precedence)

Deg	Min	Sec			Decimal degrees (Include compass setting or value)
				or	GPS help

Longitude: (Decimal degrees takes precedence)

Deg	Min	Sec			Decimal degrees (Include compass setting or value)
				or

Distance	Bearing
		Get Sample GPS readings

Latest Sightings for Japanese Quail