additional the 4 types of the quails I..S. (Type Coturnix, 4 further types, that are only represented with one type each - also in the old world -, are summarized in the type-group of actual quails (Coturnicini).
Quails i. e. S. (Type Coturnix) The quail (Coturnix coturnix) has its extended brood-areas in, according to subtype, clearly against each other delimited regions of the old world. As far as on the northern tundras and the tropical rain-forest, all climate-zones were populated on this occasion. During the spread-areas of the European quail (Coturnix coturnix coturnix), that Ussuri-Wachtel (C). c. ussuriensis, and the Japanese quail (C). c. japonica, between 65° and 23° more northern breadths narrowly adjoins, there is a spread-gap opposite the southeast-African subtype (African quail) of C. c. africana.
Hikes The quails are, as exception among the hen-birds, typical migratory birds. Both the European-Asian ones and the African brood-populations spend the winter in the steppes and savannas of Africa as well as. Südasiens. The hikes become in the southern brood-areas on that occasion only through the periodic dry-times and not through sinking temperatures caused like with the northern populations. Therefore, also the Zugzeit is very different. While the birds from the north very late start its train into the hibernation-areas in the autumn, the starting drought forces the birds brooding in North-Africa into the evasion already from April into more favorable food-areas.
Characteristics In accordance with its way of life, the wings of these small hen-birds (18 cm of length) are well suitable for the flight over wide routes; they are little curved and at the top (1).-3. Swing, extends. They fly just as unwillingly as other hen-types on that occasion outside the Zugzeit. By the not fully from-colored partridge, the quail is distinguishable through the cream-colored strips at the head; add a typical, usually black Kehlzeichnung with the male on top of this. The beak is somewhat elevated and gray at the forehead. The brown upper side seems scrutinized through sallow-white shaft-lines and many black or tan cross-ribbons simply. Adult quails molt twice per year.
Nutrition The food consists of insects and their larvae, grains and other plant-seeds as well as young plant-instincts.
Brood In the wide grassland-ships or, to increasing extents, in culture-landscapes, those are particularly in the twilight and night-hours to hear loud and melodic "hits" of the cocks. The cocks obviously live polygamously and collect several females in their against other cocks vigorously defended precinct. It follows that they can take part only unimportantly in the brood-business. The quite detailed performs courtship display begins with a feed-transfer.
As nest, the hen scratches a shallow hollow into the ground, that it lines only inadequately with plant-sharing. While it incubates the 8-12 eggs, the cock only is in bigger distance. So, also the boys are led by the female alone, is very fast independent, however.
Catch, endangering Above all in the eastern Mediterranean-countries, the mass-train of the European quails can be observed in the autumn. Known from already the antiquity, there was until approximately 1930 gigantic swarms of millions of animals. Today, smaller flocks only arrive, because the change of the brood-biotopes from the human being and the quails let more rarely become the acquirement-moderate mass-catch. The quail is on the red list of the strongly endangered types with us today.
Breeding In Japan, the there native quail was domesticated because of its meat and the eggs after one had held it in the house originally only because of its chant. Meanwhile, a downright quail-industry developed. The quails are held in "batteries", in which the individual cages hardly are bigger than the bird, themselves. So, good females put 250-300 eggs in the year, incipient in an age of 35-60 days. The Legeperiode stops 8-12 months. Also in Europe (Italy), the meaning of the quail increases as an eggs and meat-supplier.
Other types The small dwarf-quail (Excalfactoria chinensis, 14 cm of length) is widespread over southeast-Asia (from southeast-China to Borneo) and southeast-Africa, but not very frequent. The cocks live in monogamy, nevertheless leaves the females the brood-business. So, one meets the birds in pairs in moist grass or culture-country preferably or in smaller families at. More strongly than other quails, the dwarf-quails move contrary to the areas reached exactly by the rain-time. An actual winter-train doesn't take place. The dwarf-quails also turned into popular breeding and cage-birds; its eggs are regarded as delicacy.
Very locally, the Perlwachtel (Margaroperdix madagascariensis) on Madagascar and the New Guinea-chicken (Anurophasis monorthonyx) on New Guinea occur.
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