Coturnix coturnix
Status: No accepted records.
Taxonomy: Four or five subspecies are currently recognized, although taxonomy is controversial (McGowan et al 2020, Gill et al 2022).
Common Quail is considered monophyletic since the split of Japanese Quail Coturnix japonica (Gill et al 2021, McGowan and Kirwan 2020).
Comments: The only information regarding this species (rather than Japanese Quail) in Nebraska is of the release of 100 nominate C. c. coturnix near Sioux City, Iowa in the period 1877-1882, but this introduction was deemed a failure by 1885 (Wetherbee 1961).
The releases of some 76,600 coturnix quail in Nebraska beginning in 1957 (Mathisen and Mathisen 1960, Wetherbee 1961) involved birds purchased from breeders in Missouri and were Japanese Quail (C. japonica) (Wetherbee 1961). Nebraska reports of Japanese Quail are discussed in that species’ account.
Literature Cited
Gill, F., D. Donsker, and P. Rasmussen (Eds). 2021. IOC World Bird List (v 11.2). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.11.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
Gill, F., D. Donsker, and P. Rasmussen (Eds). 2022. IOC World Bird List (v 12.2). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.12.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
Mathisen, J., and A. Mathisen. 1960. History and status of introduced game birds in Nebraska. NBR 28: 19-22.Madge, S.C. and McGowan, P. 2002. Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London.
McGowan, P.J.K. and G.M. Kirwan. 2020. Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D.A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.japqua.01.
McGowan, P.J.K., G.M. Kirwan, E. de Juana, and P.F.D Boesman. 2020. Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D.A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.comqua1.01.
Wetherbee, D.K. 1961. Investigations in the Life History of the Common Coturnix. American Midland Naturalist 65: 168-186.
Recommended Citation
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2023. Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org
Birds of Nebraska – Online
Updated 20 Apr 2023
