Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix) are opportunists, exploiting mainly seeds, but also buds, bulbs and invertebrates. They visit the UK in summer, migrating from southern Europe and Africa. Hard to see among the cornstalks, the Blackbird-sized Common Quail blends in perfectly with its brown and cream plumage. The male calls in migrating females to his hideaway. His bubbling call is sometimes described as ‘wet-ma-lips, wet-ma-lips’.
Surveys suggest that the British population fluctuates, with the main centre of distribution possibly shifting in recent years to northern England and southern Scotland, and away from southwest England and Wales.
Anyone who has bred quail will know just how fast they mature. Some, like these Common Quail can be sexually mature by 12 weeks. Many keepers of doves and pigeons keep quail in the understory, they are excellent at hoovering up dropped seeds. Despite its name, the Common Quail can be hard to find In its truly wild form. There are many hybrids with the Japanese Quail about.
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