Brown Quail
Brown Quail (Coturnix ypsilophora) 褐鹌鹑，是鸡形目雉科 Synoicus 属的鸟类。又称沼泽鹌鹑、银鹌鹑和塔斯马尼亚鹌鹑，小型地面栖息鸟类。广泛分布于澳大利亚大陆、塔斯马尼亚岛、巴布亚新几内亚，并已被引入新西兰和斐济。
Brown Quail
16-22 cm. Largest native quail: face plain, with dark 'ear spot'; upperparts with fine silvery streaks; underparts have overall pattern of fine, dark V-bars. Eye red on mainland, yellow in Tas., where birds are larger (race ypsilophora). Males grey, grey-buff to red-buff; females mostly buff-brown, heavily mottled black above. Singles, pairs, coveys of 7-8 (100+ reported in Bass Strait islands): active dawn and dusk; often on dirt roads, rank grassland. Moves fast in spurts and bounds; flushed birds explode in different directions with heavy whirr and quick fluty chatter. Flight fast, low and strong, with glides; wings noticeably short and bowed; dives headfirst into cover.
- Other name
- Silver, Swamp or Tasmanian Quail.
- Similar Species
- Stubble Quail: bolder pale streaks; lacks barred underparts. King Quail, female: tiny; face and throat buff; black streak under eye; flanks with sparser black crescents; flutters up more steeply.
- Voice
- loud, frequent, rising, whistled crow: 'tu-weeeee', 'too-wayee' or 'bee-queek, bee-queek'; mostly morning and evening.
- Habitat
- rank grasses near wetlands; drains, green pastures, clover, lucerne; rice and other stubbles; swampy coastal heaths; bracken, sword-grass, Melaleuca and Banksia thickets, tall tropical grasslands, spinifex savannah.
- Breeding
- Aug.-May, timing depending on season.
- Nest
- scrape, lined with stems, leaves, etc.
- Eggs
- 7-11; roundish; dull blue-white to yellow-white, freckled olive, light brown.
- Range & Status
- patchy but widespread in n., e., se. and sw. Aust., from Kimberley (WA) to Eyre Pen. (SA) and Tas.; also parts coastal sw. WA. Extends well inland after good rains, and may breed. Also PNG (where possibly also migratory from Aust.); e. Indonesia. Introduced NZ.
- Distribution key to races
- 1. Coturnix ypsilophora australis 2. Coturnix ypsilophora ypsilophora
