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Brown QuailAlternate name(s): "Swamp Quail*", "Partridge Quail", "Silver Quail", "Tasmanian Quail" ![]() Size: 17-20 cm Weight: 70-140 g |
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Similar |
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See Brown
Quail at Wikipedia ![]() |
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Photos |
Race "australis"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Close-up frontal view of a male Brown Quail - note the
extensive rufous streaking
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oxley Common, Brisbane, QLD, September 2017]
Frontal view of a male Brown Quail
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Priors Pocket Road, Moggill, QLD, November 2021]
Near-frontal view of a male Brown Quail
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, February 2022]
Near-lateral view of a male Brown Quail
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, February 2022]
Lateral view of a male Brown Quail
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, February 2022]
Close-up lateral view of a male Brown Quail
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2021]
Lateral view of a male Brown Quail
(photo courtesy of E.
Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, NSW, January 2017]
Lateral view of a male Brown Quail
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Priors Pocket Road, Moggill, QLD, November 2021]
Near-dorsal portrait of a male Brown Quail
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2021]
Near-dorsal view of a male Brown Quail
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Priors Pocket Road, Moggill, QLD, November 2021]
Dorsal view of a male(?) Brown Quail
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[The Spit, Gold Coast, QLD, January 2020]
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FEMALE |
Frontal view of a female(?) Brown Quail
[20 km South of Narrabri, May 2012]
Near-frontal view of a female Brown Quail
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]
Near-lateral view of a female Brown Quail
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill, QLD, January 2023]
Near-lateral view of a female Brown Quail looking backwards
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill, QLD, January 2023]
Close-up near-lateral view of a female Brown Quail
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oxley Common, Brisbane, QLD, September 2017]
Lateral view of a female(?) Brown Quail; note the rich rufous
tints of birds from the North of the continent
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]
Lateral view of a female(?) Brown Quail (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Wetlands, Lytton, QLD, February 2019]
Lateral view of a female(?) Brown Quail stretching a wing
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Gold Coast, QLD, December 2013]
Near-dorsal view of a female(?) Brown Quail (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill, QLD, January 2018]
Female Brown Quail with two tiny chicks
(photo courtesy of E.
Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, NSW, January 2017]
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PAIR |
Pair of Brown Quails; male on the right, female on the left
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Scrub Lane, Lake Samsonvale, QLD, November 2020]
Close-up lateral view of a pair of Brown Quails, allowing
for the distinction of male, front, and female, back
(photo
courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Eastlakes Golf Course, Sydney, NSW, November 2017]
Close-up lateral view of a pair of Brown Quails; male on the left
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2021]
Sex unknown |
Lateral view of a Brown Quail on the move
[Near Narrabri, NSW, August 2011]
Dorsal view of a Brown Quail
[20 km South of Narrabri, May 2012]
Brown Quail caught out on a dirt road, ducking for cover
[Near Old Bar, NSW, September 2011]
Covey of about 10 Brown Quails on the edge of a waterhole
[20 km South of Narrabri, April 2006]
Close-up near-frontal view of a Brown Quail that was rescued
after an attack by a predator (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Maules Creek, NSW, July 2012]
Close-up view of a Brown Quail's feet, which are very similar to
those of a domestic chicken and characterise the bird as a true
quail [member of the Coturnix family] (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Maules Creek, NSW, July 2012]
Comparison of Brown Quails with a male
Brush Bronzewing
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Cheynes Beach, Albany, WA, June 2020]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Frontal view of a pair of Brown Quails with two juveniles behind them
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2021]
Dorsal view of a pair of Brown Quail with 4 juveniles
(photo courtesy of
V. Collins)
[Old Bar, NSW, January 2021]
Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Brown Quail (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill, QLD, January 2018]
Female Brown Quail with two tiny chicks
(photo courtesy of E.
Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, NSW, January 2017]
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Breeding information |
Breeding season: Sep - Apr | Eggs: 7 - 10 | Incubation period: 14 days | Fledging age: N/A |
The breeding season can vary, depending on local rainfall. Brown Quails can in principle breed all year round. Males and females both incubate.
Quail vs. Button-quail
Although the two genera of the true quails, Coturnix, and the button-quails, Turnix, are outwardly very similar, and therefore often listed together, there are significant differences between them (which is the reason why they are in different family groups here).
Genus | Coturnix | Turnix |
---|---|---|
Common name | True quails | Button-quails |
Similar species | Chicken-like | Wader-like |
Toes | 4 toes, one of which points backward | 3 toes, all of which point forward |
Nesting habits | Communal | Non-communal |
Main incubator | Female | Male |
Incubation period | ca. 21 days | ca. 14 days |
No. of eggs | 8-12 | ≤ 4 |
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Basket | Material: Grass lining | Height above ground: N/A |
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Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
Size: 28 x 22 mm | Colour: Creamy with dark-brown speckles | Shape: Tapered oval |
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Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Communal | Mobility: Locally vagrant | Elementary unit: Family clan |
Brown Quails can fly, but will usually avoid predators by scurrying away along the ground, into cover. In flight their wings produce the typical whirring sound of quails and button-quails. They will fly up only at the last moment, stunning potential predators with their noisy departure.
As opposed to, e.g., Stubble Quails, we usually observe Brown Quails in family clans of up to about 12 birds.
Brown Quails can often be found feeding along the edges of tall,
often rank, grass,
including e.g. along the edges of
roads
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2021]
Find the Brown Quail - example of their great camouflage
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2021]
Brown Quail ruffling its feathers, probably after preening
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Eastlakes Golf Course, Sydney, NSW, September 2013]
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Food, Diet |
Brown Quails can often be found feeding along the edges of tall,
often rank, grass,
including e.g. along the edges of
roads
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2021]
Brown Quails stripping seeds off rank
grass
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2021]
Near-dorsal view of a male Brown Quail nibbling on something edible
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Priors Pocket Road, Moggill, QLD, November 2021]
Brown Quails drinking water
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Diamantina NP, QLD, September 2019]
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Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.
brquail_20181112.m4a |
australis (NW NSW) |
Contact call | © MD | |
quails_20210102.m4a | (NW NSW) | Contact call (+ Stubble Quail) | © MD | |
brquail_20210114.m4a |
australis (NW NSW) |
Contact calls | © MD | |
brquail_20210102_2.m4a |
australis (NW NSW) |
Contact calls + warning (+ Stubble Quail) |
© MD | |
brquail_20210127.m4a | (NW NSW) | Warning calls | © MD | |
brquail_20150831.mp3 |
australis (NW NSW) |
Warning calls + alarm? | © MD | |
brquail_20210102.m4a |
australis (NW NSW) |
Alarm/departure (+ Noisy Friarbird) |
© MD |
We have also recorded the wing beats of Brown Quail.
brquail_20181112_2.m4a |
australis (NW NSW) |
Departure | © MD | |
brquail_20180927.m4a |
australis (NW NSW) |
Pair departure | © MD |
More Brown Quail sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.