Rain Quail

Overview

The rain quail, also known as the black-breasted quail, is a species of quail found across the Indian Sub-continent and South-east Asia. It is a common species with a large, stable range and is currently rated as least concern by the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• 6–6.5 in (15–17 cm) in length, weighing roughly 2.25–2.5 oz (64–71 g).
• Males feature a black breast-patch and a distinctive black and white head pattern; primaries lack barring.
• Females are difficult to separate from female common or Japanese quail, though they possess more delicate breast spots.
• Call consists of a metallic pair of 'quit-quit' notes, repeatedly heard in mornings, evenings, and during the night in the breeding season.

Habitat

This species inhabits grassland, cropped fields, and scrub in the Indus valley of central Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan, extending across the Gangetic plains and parts of peninsular India. It is also found in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, where it is mostly seen in winter further south.

Diet

The rain quail forages on seeds of grasses and other plants, as well as insect larvae and small invertebrates.

Did you know?

In Khmer culture, the rain quail is a symbolic figure often represented at the center of some yantra cloth as an auspicious sign for the protection of a home.