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1

Brown Quail

(Coturnix ypsilophora)
Alternate name(s): "Swamp Quail*", "Partridge Quail", "Silver Quail", "Tasmanian Quail"
Aboriginal name(s): Race "australis": "puRunggai" [western djadjawurrung]; "booroolum", "burrandool"; "mooritj" (SW WA)

Size: 17-20 cm
Weight: 70-140 g

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Brown Quail at Wikipedia .

Click here for classification information

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "australis"

ADULT

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Basket Material: Grass lining Height above ground: N/A

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

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]

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]

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 .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site?
If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.