Common quail (Coturnix coturnix). Quail and decoy How many quails live

common quail, or quail(lat. Coturnix coturnix; obsolete name - lat. Coturnix dactylisonans s. communis) is a bird of the partridge subfamily of the order Galliformes.

Appearance

Body length 16-20 cm, weight 80-145 g.

The plumage is buffy, the top of the head, back, rump and upper tail coverts have dark and light brown transverse stripes and spots, a reddish stripe behind the eye. The male has dark red cheeks, red goiter, black chin and throat. The female differs from him in a pale buffy chin and throat and the presence of black-brown spots (streaks) on the crop and sides.

Spreading

Common quail is common in Europe, Africa and Western Asia; in Russia - in the east to Baikal. It lives in fields on the plains and in the mountains. Winters in Africa and Southwest Asia, mainly in South Africa and in Hindustan. Breeds throughout Europe and Asia up to North Africa, Palestine, Iran and Turkestan. Arrives south in early April, north in early May.

reproduction

As soon as the grass grows, the quail starts screaming and the males fight among themselves because of the female. Nests are made on the ground. The female lays 8-20 pale-yellow eggs with black-brown spots; incubates for 15-17 days and hatches the chicks without the participation of the male.

Lifestyle

When the bread ripens, the quails move to the fields, quickly fatten up and get very fat. They fly off, depending on the latitude, from the end of August to the end of September. The food is mainly vegetable (seeds, buds, shoots), less often insects.

People and quail

Quail meat and eggs are very tasty. Mineral fertilizers and pesticides dispersed in the fields lead to poisoning and a sharp decrease in the number of quails that previously served as an object of hunting during the autumn migration in the Crimea and the Caucasus. The quail endures captivity very well. IN Central Asia quails are kept in cages as a fighting bird and for the sake of "singing" - a loud current cry.

IN Ancient Egypt the image of a quail was used as a hieroglyph for the sounds "v" and "y":

Hunting

The main quail fishing was carried out during May, June and July, mainly in the morning or evening dawn, but only when there was no more dew. For fishing, they used a net and pipes or a live female quail. The net was spread out over grass or spring crops, and the hunter sat down at the edge opposite to the side from where the quail's cry was heard, and then began to "beat the pipe", which imitated the voice of the female quail and consisted of a bone squeaker with leather furs attached to it. Instead of using pipes under the net in a cage, they also planted a live “clicky” female quail, which was certainly one year old and overwintered in captivity. When a quail, lured by a pipe or a net, came under the net, the hunter got to his feet, the bird flew up and got tangled in the meshes of the net. “Uninvited”, that is, not frightened, the birds were extremely brave and, without fear of a person, often jumped under the net onto a cage with a female. Among the birds caught, “fighters” - two roosters (that is, good screaming quails) came across very rarely, and amateur hunters had special agents to get them, who in advance looked for and listened to good screaming quails in the meadows and fields. Creek quails were put in a cage and hung on carduelis (that is, on a high pole), at the top of which they arranged a roof with a front and back wall, under which the cage was pulled up on a rope. The voice of a good quail could be heard in calm weather for two versts, and in the wind - even further. Summer quail hunting began after the harvest and continued until departure.

The methods of catching quails were extremely diverse: in addition to hunting with rifles and with hawks, common to any small game, quails were caught in special pillow nets, the upper edge of which was raised on long light sixes. This net was wrapped around the quail along with the dog, which made a rack over the quail. In the Turkestan region, quail was caught with a net. In the Caucasus, quails were attracted to alert nets by fire and ringing a bell. In the Crimea, hunters looked out for quails that were obese by autumn, and therefore heavy to lift, on horseback and winged them from the horse with a cone-shaped net. In addition, quails were caught in huge numbers by snares placed in clover and other fields, as well as by "sling nets" stretched, like weights, on the flyway between tall trees, in clearings and gorges. According to the laws in force until 1917, quail hunting was prohibited from March 1 to July 15, with the exception of hunting with a net for male quails, which was allowed from May 1.

quail singing

Quails were valued for the voice of the male (“only males scream, and females only “shackle”), which, however, has little resemblance to those sounds that are commonly called singing, and is divided into mamakan> (or wawakan>) and cry> (or battle>). Croaking ("kva-kva") in males is usually repeated from one to three times; in females, the call (“lift-weed”), in a hunting way, consists of three separate knees: “rise”, “wire” and “low tide”. The Sudzhansky district of the Kursk province was most famous for its screaming quails; in general, good quails came across in the whole Kursk province, most of the Voronezh and in some districts of the Oryol, Tula, Tambov and Kharkov provinces.

Quail fights

In Turkestan, fights (fights) between male quails were a kind of Central Asian sport, which many Sarts indulged in with enthusiasm. The owners of fighting quails usually wore them in their bosoms. The arena of the battle, always accompanied by the conclusion of a bet, served as vast pits, along the walls of which spectators were seated.

, cry of a frightened quail , Quail Twitter

Body length 16-20 cm, weight 80-145 g. The plumage is buffy, the top of the head, back, rump and upper tail coverts in dark and light brown transverse stripes and spots, a reddish stripe behind the eye. The male has dark red cheeks, red goiter, black chin and throat. The female differs from him in a pale buffy chin and throat and the presence of black-brown spots (streaks) on the crop and sides.

Spreading

Quail is common in Europe, Africa and Western Asia; in Russia - in the east to Baikal. It lives in fields on the plains and in the mountains. Winters in Africa and Southwest Asia, mainly in South Africa and Hindustan. Breeds throughout Europe and Asia to North Africa, Palestine, Iran and Turkestan. Arrives south in early April, north in early May.

reproduction

As soon as the grass grows, the quail starts screaming and the males fight among themselves because of the female. Nests are made on the ground. The female lays 8-20 pale-yellow eggs with black-brown spots; incubates for 15-17 days and hatches the chicks without the participation of the male.

Lifestyle

When the bread ripens, the quails move to the fields, quickly fatten up and get very fat. They fly off, depending on the latitude, from the end of August to the end of September. The food is mainly vegetable (seeds, buds, shoots), less often insects.

Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs depicting quail (Louvre, Paris)

Quail meat and eggs are very tasty. Mineral fertilizers and pesticides dispersed in the fields lead to poisoning and a sharp decrease in the number of quails that previously served as an object of hunting during the autumn migration in the Crimea and the Caucasus. The quail endures captivity very well. In Central Asia, quails are kept in cages as a fighting bird and for the sake of "singing" - a loud current cry.

In ancient Egypt, the image of a quail was used as a hieroglyph for the sounds "v" and "y":

In pre-revolutionary Russia (until 1917), quail served as a source of prey, firstly, as a game eaten, secondly, as a songbird, and, finally, for arranging quail fights.

The main quail fishing was carried out during May, June and July, mainly in the morning or evening dawn, but only when there was no more dew. For fishing, they used a net and pipes or a live female quail. The net was spread out over grass or spring crops, and the hunter sat down at the edge opposite to the side from where the quail's cry was heard, and then began to "beat the pipe", which imitated the voice of the female quail and consisted of a bone squeaker with leather furs attached to it. Instead of using pipes under the net in a cage, they also planted a live “clicky” female quail, which was certainly one year old and overwintered in captivity. When a quail, lured by a pipe or a net, came under the net, the hunter got to his feet, the bird flew up and got tangled in the meshes of the net. “Uninvited”, that is, not frightened, the birds were extremely brave and, without fear of a person, often jumped under the net onto a cage with a female. Among the birds caught, “fighters” (that is, good screaming quails) came across very rarely, and to get them, amateur hunters had special agents who looked for and listened in advance to good screaming quails in the meadows and fields. Creek quails were put in a cage and hung out on carduelis (that is, on a high pole), at the top of which they arranged a roof with a front and back wall, under which the cage was pulled up on a rope. The voice of a good quail could be heard in calm weather for two versts, and in the wind - even further. Summer quail hunting began after the harvest and continued until departure.

The methods of catching quails were extremely diverse: in addition to hunting with rifles and with hawks, common to any small game, quails were caught in special pillow nets, the upper edge of which was raised on long light sixes. This net was wrapped around the quail along with the dog, which made a rack over the quail. In the Turkestan region, quail was caught with a net. In the Caucasus, quails were attracted to alert nets by fire and ringing a bell. In the Crimea, hunters looked out for quails that were obese by autumn, and therefore heavy to lift, on horseback and winged them from the horse with a cone-shaped net. In addition, quails were caught in huge numbers with snares placed in clover and other fields, as well as with "straight nets" stretched, like overweights, on a flyway between tall trees, in clearings and gorges. According to the laws in force until 1917, quail hunting was prohibited from March 1 to July 15, with the exception of hunting with a net for male quails, which was allowed from May 1.

quail singing

Quails were valued for the voice of the male (“only males scream, and females only “shackle”), which, however, has little resemblance to those sounds that are commonly called singing, and is divided into mamakan (or wawakan) and cry (or fight). Vavakanye (“wa-va”) is usually repeated from one to three times; the cry (“fit-pil-vit”), in a hunting way, consists of three separate knees: “rise”, “drag” and “low tide”. The Sudzhansky district of the Kursk province was most famous for its screaming quails; in general, good quails came across in the whole Kursk province, most of the Voronezh and in some districts of the Oryol, Tula, Tambov and Kharkov provinces.

Quail fights

In Turkestan, fights (fights) between male quails were a kind of Central Asian sport, which many Sarts indulged in with enthusiasm. The owners of fighting quails usually wore them in their bosoms. The arena of the battle, always accompanied by the conclusion of a bet, served as vast pits, along the walls of which spectators were seated.

Classification

Common quail is divided into 8 subspecies:
C.c. africana
C.c. confisa
C.c. conturbans
C.c. coturnix
C.c. erlangeri
C.c. inopinata
C.c. parisii
C.c. ragonierii

More than a dozen fans of quail fights gathered in the central teahouse of the Khistevarz village of the Bobojongafurov district of Tajikistan. However, they had to leave with nothing - fewer players arrived than expected, and the fight was postponed.

We invite all true fans of quail fights to the cities of Istaravshan and Khujand, - announced Karim Khalikov, one of the organizers of the gambling national game “bedonachang”. - Come - and you will not regret either the lost time or the money spent.

Unfortunately, the number of fans of quail fights is decreasing from year to year, says 81-year-old Khojiboy Urunov. - Previously, battles took place in different cities of the region all seven days a week, people came from all over Sogd (Sughd region), they even came from neighboring regions of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. However, now these spectacles take place only twice a week: on Wednesdays in Istaravshan, and on Thursdays in Khujand.

Real fierce battles can be seen in Istaravshan, - adds another fan of these games, Abduvali Sharipov. - More than a hundred fans of quail fights gather from Isfara, Kanibadam, Khujand, Matches, Zafarabad, Ganchi, Spitamen, Istaravshan. The prize fund sometimes reaches ten thousand somoni (about two and a half thousand dollars). Before, when there was no visa regime between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, dozens of fans came from the neighboring republic, and the prize fund sometimes exceeded three thousand dollars.

I know a man who would never exchange his quail for a cash cow, - says Khojiboy Urunov. - There is a known case when a husband divorced his wife because of his passion for quails: his wife did not respect his hobbies ... That man during the divorce explained to the court: “You can find another wife, but a good, brave and courageous quail is unlikely ... ".

If I don’t take part in these battles at least once a week, then I get sick, - Khalik Mirzoev, a resident of the city of Isfara, honestly admits. - Although the fight lasts only five minutes, the impression of it remains for a long time.

However, there are many people who breed birds just like that, out of love for quails. One of them - chief physician Sughd Regional Cardiological Dispensary Khabibullo Makhmudov. More than thirty quails, many partridges (a type of partridge), peacocks and other birds live in his house.

This is a traditional hobby of our family, - says Khabibullo Makhmudov. - When I was little, our grandfather Mahmudboy raised quails, kecliks, peacocks, looked after them, and I helped him. When my grandfather died, my father distributed all the cages with birds to relatives and friends: he worked as a driver, was on the road all the time and did not have the opportunity to follow the birds, he was afraid that they would die of hunger. And I, while still a schoolboy, decided to continue the work of my grandfather. Grandfather's quails sometimes participated in quail fights, but I only breed them: I like the way they sing. They start singing at three in the morning: pit-pilik, pit-pilik ... And my nerves calm down, stress goes away ...

Quail singing, oddly enough, has a positive effect on human health. No music can compare with the simultaneous singing of several quails, and many doctors, educators, artists and musicians keep quails at home. The former chief physician of the Shelkombinat hospital in Khujand, 76-year-old Abdukakhhor Gafurov, also keeps quails - and has not yet complained about his health.

Quails are migratory birds, - says Khabibullo Makhmudov. - They appear with us in April, and fly away to the tropics in the fall. Therefore, the first quail hunting season begins in April: hunters go to wheat fields, set up nets (nets) and blow, imitating the gentle voice of a quail. Different quails get into the net, but only those birds that have a strong voice are put into the cages.

Once, the book “Notes of a rifle hunter of the Orenburg region” by Sergei Aksakov, published in 1830 in Orenburg, fell into my hands, Khabibullo Makhmudov continues. - He talks about hunting birds, predators and wild animals. In the Quail section, Aksakov talks about how to hunt these birds - and it is interesting that the same hunting traditions are preserved today. In particular, the “shabtur” method, night hunting for quails with large ten-meter nets, is still widely used. This is how they hunt in September. Aksakov recalls that when he wandered the streets of Moscow, he often heard the singing of quails from the windows. The price of a good quail could reach up to a hundred rubles.

Connoisseurs and lovers of quail confirm that not every person can keep these birds at home, they require care: you need to clean the cage, change water, feed with special food ... They feed quails with millet and millet, in winter once a week you need to give the birds compound feed from carrots, greens, dill , coriander, plantain. Sometimes quails are fed locusts. So that wild birds do not attack them: a petrel, a white falcon, a hawk, a black crow - the cage is covered with a white cloth.

Quail live from six to eight years. From the age of three or four, their voice becomes lower and lower.

Quail meat is a delicacy and has a high calorie content, Khabibullo Makhmudov emphasizes. - It contains a large number of phosphorus. Previously, every morning for breakfast, all the sick - and there were 230 of them - were given five quail eggs.

According to the livestock specialist, a graduate of the Tajik Agrarian University Akram Saidolimov, quails are currently grown in the poultry farms of the city of Khujand, as well as in the Jabbarrasul and Gissar districts of Tajikistan. However, in the country's universities there is no separate faculty or department where specialists in breeding these birds would be trained, although breeding quails, kecliks and other birds could partially solve the issue of the country's food security. Many experts believe that the government of Tajikistan should develop a special concept for the development of poultry farming, one of the directions of which should be the breeding of quails, kecliks, falcons and similar birds. After all, they, first of all, destroy locusts - one of the most dangerous pests.

The quail of Khalik Mirzoev won several fights in Khujand. I decided to buy a power tool and several new "fighters" for the win, but I did not find suitable quails ready for battle. I had to buy one chick for 50 somoni ($12), although an ordinary quail in the courtyard of the Panjshanbe market can be purchased for 5 somoni ($1.2).

In a week in Istaravshan I will buy a later quail, - says Khalik Mirzoev. - There's a lot of choice. Good quails will not let you down, with aggressive and courageous quails you will not be left without daily bread. Won at least a small fight - earned at least one hundred somoni ($25). It's better than sitting at home and gossiping like an old man useful thing to do, - 63-year-old Khalik Mirzoev is sure.

Tilav Rasul-zade
Fergana.news

The quail is a small bird about the size of a thrush that prefers to settle on open area, for example, in the steppes or in the meadows. It is rarely seen, but quail trills are heard in the steppe or in the meadow during the display of these birds very often. To many who are not familiar with quails better, they may seem boring and expressionless birds. But, in fact, the quail is a very interesting bird, if not amazing. Currently, there are eight species of these birds in the world and each of them is unique in its own way.

Quail Description

The common quail or, as it is often called, the quail, belongs to the subfamily of the partridge order of the galliformes. It has long been of interest to people not only as game, but also as an ornamental or songbird. Also in the old days in Asia they were used as fighters, arranging quail fights.

Appearance

The size of an ordinary quail is small: this bird does not exceed 20 cm in length and 150 grams of weight. It also does not shine with bright plumage, rather, its color resembles the color of yellowed grass or fallen leaves. The feathers of an ocher-brownish color are covered with dark and light small spots and stripes, which allows the quail to skillfully hide in thickets of dry grass.

Male and female differ slightly in color. In the male, the upper body and wings have a complex variegated color. The main tone is ocher-brown, over which spots and stripes of a darker, reddish-brown hue are scattered. The head is also dark, with a narrow lightish stripe that runs in the middle, another, lighter, paler stripe also passes above the eye, running along the head from the edge of the nostril along the eyelid, and then to the neck, forming around the bird’s eye a semblance of light glasses with arches.

This is interesting! It can be difficult to see a quail hiding in the grass or crouching to the ground, since in color it almost completely merges with the surrounding landscape. This coloring feature allows the birds to skillfully disguise themselves and serves as a good defense against predators.

The throat of males is darker, black-brown, but by autumn it brightens. The female's throat is lighter than the main color and is also covered with dark small spots and stripes. The lower part of the body is also lighter than the upper. On the chest, quails have quite interesting drawing, which is formed by the feathers of the main color as a result of their combination with darker ones, as well as with feathers lighter than the main coloring.

The wings of these birds are very long, while the tail is very small. The legs are light, shortish, but not massive.

Character and lifestyle

Quail are migratory birds. True, those who live in warm climate, do not leave their native places, but the birds that live in colder lands migrate south every autumn.

Unlike most migratory birds, capable of long flights and soaring high into the sky, quails fly little and not very willingly. Even from predators, they prefer to run away on the ground. And, having risen into the air, they fly low above the ground, while making frequent flapping of their wings.

Quails live in grassy thickets, which inevitably affected the characteristics of their habits and appearance . Even making flights and settling down for a rest, these birds will never sit on the branches of trees. They will descend to the ground and, just as they do in their nesting places, hide in the grass. Despite his small size, quails do not look graceful at all, rather, on the contrary, they seem to be stocky. By autumn, they, moreover, are also gaining fat, which makes them seem even more well-fed than usual. Those who hunt them at this time know very well how fat quails can be in early autumn before flying.

Quails migrate in flocks: they fly away for the winter to the countries of South Asia and Africa, where there is no winter and cold weather, and in the spring they return back to their native fields and steppes.

This is interesting! Domestic quails, bred for nutritious meat and eggs, have almost completely lost their ability to fly, as well as their nesting instinct. But these birds are surprisingly unpretentious to the conditions of detention. They practically do not get sick and are distinguished by a peaceful disposition, which makes them very convenient for growing and keeping in backyards and small farms.

How long do quails live

Wild quails do not live long: 4-5 years are already considered a very respectable age for them. At home, laying quails are kept even less: up to about a year and a half. The fact is that already at the age of one, they begin to rush worse and keep them on the farm becomes irrational.

Quail species // living

Currently, there are ten species of quail: eight - now living and mostly flourishing, and two - extinct, if not through the fault of man, then at least with his tacit consent.

Currently living species:

• Common quail.
• Mute or Japanese quail.
• Australian quail.
• Black-breasted quail.
• Quail-harlequin.
• Brown quail.
• African blue quail.
• Painted quail.

Extinct species include:

• New Zealand quail.
• Canarian quail.

The vast majority of these species do not shine with the brightness of their plumage, with the exception of the African blue quail, the males of which more than justify the name of their species. From above, their color is not much different from the color of all other quails, but the lower part of the head, starting from the eyes and below, the throat, chest, abdomen and tail has an iridescent color, intermediate between sapphire blue and bluish.

On the cheeks, chin and throat there is a bright white drop-shaped spot bordered black stripe. But the females of the African blue quail are the most common, unremarkable laying quails with an ocher-reddish variegated main color and a lighter, whitish belly.

This is interesting! Japanese quail, in wild nature no different large sizes(90-100 grams - the weight of an adult male), became the ancestor of all breeds of domestic quails, including meat ones, than the weight reaches 300 grams, which is three times the weight of their ancestor.

The males of the painted quail are distinguished by an even brighter color: their head and neck are dark gray, the upper body is painted sky-sapphire with a slight admixture of gray, the chest, abdomen and flight feathers are reddish-brown, the beak is black, and the legs are bright -orange. This species is distinguished by the smallest size among quails: their weight ranges from 45 to 70 grams, and their length is 14 cm.

Range, habitats

The range of the common quail is extensive: these birds live almost throughout the Old World: in Europe, Asia and Africa. Moreover, according to their habitat, quails are divided into sedentary and migratory. Settled quails live in more warm regions where there is no need to migrate south. And migratory ones live in regions with a colder climate, and therefore, with the onset of autumn, they take to the wings and fly to southern countries for the winter. Quails prefer to live in the steppe and in meadows among tall grass, where it is not easy for them to notice.

Ranges and habitats of others, including exotic species of quail:

• Mute or Japanese quail lives in Manchuria, Primorye and northern Japan, and flies to southern Japan, Korea or southern China for wintering. He prefers to settle in fields overgrown with grass, low shrubs along the banks of rivers, as well as in agricultural fields sown with rice, barley or oats.
• The Australian quail is widely distributed throughout Australia, but does not currently inhabit Tasmania, although it was found there until about the 1950s. It is most common in the wetter southeastern and western regions of Australia, where it settles in extensive pastures and fields sown with agricultural crops.
• The black-breasted quail inhabits Hindustan, as well as the countries of Southeast Asia, where it settles in the fields, as, indeed, all other quails.
• Harlequin quail is found in countries tropical Africa, Madagascar and the Arabian Peninsula. Its favorite habitats are endless meadows and fields overgrown with low vegetation.
• Brown quail is found on the islands scattered in Oceania, as well as in Australia and Tasmania. Settles in meadows, in the savannah, in thickets of shrubs and swamps. Avoids dry places and mostly lives on the plains. However, in New Zealand and New Guinea, it can also live in mountainous areas.
• The African blue quail inhabits the African continent south of the Sahara. Usually settles in pastures or agricultural fields near rivers or lakes.
• The painted quail lives in Africa, in Hindustan, in South-East Asia, Australia and Oceania. They like to settle in wet meadows, both on the plains and in the mountains.

Quail diet

In order to get food, the quail scatters the ground with its feet, just like an ordinary chicken does. His diet consists of half animal, half vegetable food. These birds eat small invertebrates such as worms, insects, and their larvae. TO vegetable food that quails eat include seeds and grains of plants, as well as shoots and leaves of trees and shrubs.

This is interesting! Young quails mainly feed on animal food, and only with age does the proportion of plant food increase in their diet.