The quail (Coturnix coturnix) is the smallest species among the game birds that live in Slovenia. It is a very small, but nicely rounded bird, which is stretched only a little longer than a house sparrow. From the tip of the beak to the end of the tail it is 16 to 18 cm long. The quail blends with its surroundings with its protective pea-brown mottled plumage. Its plumage is reddish-brown with dark brown streaks on the back, chest, flanks and head. The throat, cheeks, and rounded belly are pale, sandy-colored. The stripes on the back, wings and flanks are also of the same color. Females and males differ in the color of the throat. Males have a black patch under the chin, the throat of females is dirty white. Also, even if we approach very closely, the quail does not like to take off. It tends to stay in the shelter of grass and quietly withdraws to a safe distance. If we do manage to see it in flight, we will be surprised by the length of its wings. However, such a flight will be rather short, as the bird will quickly descend back among the vegetation. Although the quail does not readily reveal itself, its presence is announced, especially at dusk and at night, by its distinctive "pet pedi" call, which sounds like the crackling of a whip.
The quail is active during the day, but males are often heard calling even in the dark. As far as food goes, it is not picky. On its forays it forages for insects and other invertebrates, but it also likes to nibble various grains.
Unlike other relatives, the quail is a migratory bird that winters in warm Africa. In our region it usually returns in April and stays here until October, when the cold nights and shorter days spur it to migrate. In May and June it lays about ten eggs in a ground scrape, from which small chicks hatch that follow their mother wherever she goes. The quail's habitat is open agricultural landscape, where extensive, late-mowed wet meadows intertwine with fields, crops and hedgerows. With the exception of the mountainous regions, it nests throughout Slovenia, so we regard it as a fairly common breeder.
The quail is threatened by the abandonment of traditional, nature-friendly farming methods and the introduction of intensive agricultural practices. In addition, they are intensively hunted during their annual migrations across the Mediterranean. The combination of all these threats has caused a substantial decline in its population size even in Slovenia, which is why we have classified it as a vulnerable species on the Red List.
