A number of subspecies of brown quail are recognized. They are: Coturnix ypsilophora ypsilophora, C. y. australis, C. y. queenslandicus, C. y. cervinus, C. y. dogwa, C. y. plumbeus, C. y. saturatior, C. y. mafulu, C. y. lamonti, C. y. monticola, C. y. pallidior, and C. y. raaltenii (Johnsgard, 1988).
DNA evidence shows that Coturnix ypsilophora australis is quite distinct from Coturnix; therefore, resurrection of the formerly accepted genus Coturnix may be warranted (Johnsgard, 1988).
The usual call for brown quail is a whistling crow uttered as "tu-whee" or "gop-warr," rising in pitch with the second syllable drawn out. When flushed from cover, brown quail utter a cackling call (Johnsgard, 1988).
Communication Channels: acoustic
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Although there has been an increase in some types of suitable habitat for brown quail, such as stubble fields, the draining of wetlands destroys their habitat. On the balance, populations of brown quail have been declining as they face a net loss of habitat (Johnsgard, 1988). This species is not listed by either the IUCN or CITES.
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
There are no known adverse affects of brown quail on humans.
Brown quail may be found in aviaries.
Positive Impacts: pet trade
Brown quail have an impact on the vegetation they eat.
Brown quail consume grass and weed seeds and other grain-like plant matter (Johnsgard, 1988).
Plant Foods: seeds, grains, and nuts
Primary Diet: herbivore (Granivore )
In Australia, brown quail are found along the eastern coast and in the extreme north. They are also found in New Guinea, Tasmania, and as a rare siting in Fiji. They were also introduced in New Zealand (Alderton, 1992; Heather and Roberson, 1997).
Biogeographic Regions: australian (Native ); oceanic islands (Introduced )
Brown quail are terrestrial, tropical and temperate species. They require habitat with adequate cover (Alderton, 1992) and prefer rank grasses, moist meadows, and generally heavy cover, but have been found in croplands. They will live in the vicinity of creeks or swamps, but seek higher ground in the event of heavy rainfall. In New Guinea, brown quail have been found at 3600 m in alpine grasslands (Johnsgard, 1988).
Range elevation: 3600 (high) m.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; mountains
Wetlands: swamp
Other Habitat Features: agricultural
We do not have information on lifespan/longevity for this species at this time.
Brown quail are 18 cm in length (Alderton, 1992) and weigh 75 to 92 g. Wing length is 82 to 109 mm for males and 82 to 103 mm for females. Tail length for both is 43 to 51 mm (Johnsgard, 1988).
Both males and females are dark brown from their crown to their back. There are faint whitish and blackish streaks on the wings. The breast and abdomen are a golden buff to tawny color; the male's black horizontal markings are not as prominent as the female's. The male has dark brown on the sides of his head with a small buff colored area on his throat. The female has a larger patch of cream to buff coloration on her throat with lighter brown on the sides of her head (Alderton, 1992). The flanks and underparts are barred and are visible at close range (Johnsgard, 1988).
Range mass: 75 to 92 g.
Average length: 18 cm.
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes colored or patterned differently
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
We do not have information on predation for this species at this time.
We do not have information on mating systems for this species at this time.
Egg laying occurs at the end of the wet season (Alderton, 1992). In southeastern Austraila this is from October to December and in northern tropical areas from January to May (Johnsgard, 1988).
In Australia, seven to eleven eggs are laid per clutch. In New Guinea, a clutch consists of four to six eggs (Johnsgard 1988). In captivity, ten to 18 eggs are laid per clutch (Alderton 1992). Each egg is approximately 30 by 23.6 mm and weighs 9.2 g (Johnsgard 1988).
Breeding interval: Brown quail breed yearly.
Breeding season: October to December in southern Australia, January to May in northern tropical areas.
Range eggs per season: 4 to 18.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (Internal ); oviparous
Brown quail chicks are precocial.
Parental Investment: no parental involvement; precocial ; pre-fertilization
The brown quail (Synoicus ypsilophorus), also known as the swamp quail, silver quail and Tasmanian quail, is an Australasian true quail of the family Phasianidae. It is a small, ground-dwelling bird and is native to mainland Australia, Tasmania and Papua New Guinea and has been introduced to New Zealand and Fiji. Widespread and common throughout its large range, the brown quail is evaluated as being of "least concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Although previously classified in the genus Coturnix, phylogenetic analyses have found it to form a monophyletic grouping with several other quail species, all of which have since been grouped in the genus Synoicus. It is thought to be the sister species to the Snow Mountain quail (S. monorthonyx), which was previously classified in the genus Anurophasis.[3][4][5]
The following subspecies are recognised:[6]
The brown quail is a plump, stocky bird which can grow up to a length of 17 to 22 centimetres (6+1⁄2 to 8+1⁄2 in) and weight of 75 to 140 grams (2+3⁄4 to 5 oz). The colour is quite variable over the bird's wide range. The male is reddish-brown speckled with black on the head and upper neck and mainly reddish-brown on back and wings. The underparts range from buff or rufous to brown, but always with fine black chevron-shaped barring. The tail is short, dark brown with yellowish barring. The female is similar but rather paler. There are small black spots on the shoulder of the female and the upperparts are barred with dark chevron-shaped markings.[7]
The voice consists of a variety of shrill calls with which the birds communicate as they move through dense vegetation.[8] One call is a double whistle, the latter note ascending.[9][10]
The brown quail is distributed in agricultural areas, wet grasslands, shrublands, spinifex savannah, and freshwater wetlands across much of New Guinea and the Lesser Sunda Islands as well as in northern, eastern, south-eastern and south-western Australia and Tasmania, though absent from arid regions. This species has been introduced to Fiji and New Zealand. In Australia it is mostly a lowland species but in New Zealand it is found at elevations up to 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) and in New Guinea up to 3,700 metres (12,000 ft).[7] It was introduced to New Zealand in the 1860s and 1870s and is now present in North Island and certain offshore islands. This introduction, and other quail introductions that failed to establish, may have played a part in the demise of the New Zealand quail, an endemic species that became extinct shortly afterwards, possibly because of a lack of resistance to some new disease.[8]
The brown quail is a ground-dwelling bird that prefers to hide or run rather than fly. It is found in small groups and feeds on grasses, seeds, shoots and small invertebrates. If the group is startled and take to the air, the birds scatter by flying in different directions, regrouping when the danger has passed.[7]
Brown quails form breeding pairs in the spring. There is an extended breeding season with clutches of half a dozen or more eggs being laid in a shallow scraped nest lined with grasses on the ground, often concealed in a grass tussock or shrubby bush. These are incubated by the female for the three-week incubation period. The newly hatched chicks are precocial and are cared for by both parents for a while, with the male taking on the caring role after two weeks to allow the female to start on the next clutch of eggs.[7]
The brown quail has a very wide range and is common in much of that range. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern". Although the population has not been quantified, and may be declining slightly, it does not seem to be at such a rate as to warrant listing the species in a more threatened category.[1]
The Kunwinjku people of western Arnhem Land call this bird djirndih, djiribbidj or merhmerh (all quails).[11][9][10]
The brown quail (Synoicus ypsilophorus), also known as the swamp quail, silver quail and Tasmanian quail, is an Australasian true quail of the family Phasianidae. It is a small, ground-dwelling bird and is native to mainland Australia, Tasmania and Papua New Guinea and has been introduced to New Zealand and Fiji. Widespread and common throughout its large range, the brown quail is evaluated as being of "least concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
