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Old World quail

Old World quail is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Old World quail rather than just read about it. In short: "Old World quail" is a collective term for several unrelated genera of smaller galliform species under the tribe Coturnicini of the subfamily Phasianinae. Note that although species which are commonly referred to as "Old World quail" fall in the same tribe, they are paraphyletic with respect to the other genera of the tribe, such as Alectoris, Tetraogallus, Ammoperdix, Margaroperdix, and Pternistis.

Old World quail — main illustration
Old World quail — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Old World quail belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Old World quail to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Old World quail from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

"Old World quail" is a collective term for several unrelated genera of smaller galliform species under the tribe Coturnicini of the subfamily Phasianinae. Note that although species which are commonly referred to as "Old World quail" fall in the same tribe, they are paraphyletic with respect to the other genera of the tribe, such as Alectoris, Tetraogallus, Ammoperdix, Margaroperdix, and Pternistis. New World quail are also housed in the order Galliformes, but they are classified under a different family, Odontophoridae. The buttonquails or hemipodes, despite their common name and similar resemblance to smaller members like the Asian blue quail (erroneously called "button quail"), are not related at all. They are presently placed in the family Turnicidae of the order Charadriiformes, in the same category as shorebirds. The collective noun for a group of quail is flock, bevy or covey.

Taxonomy "Old World quail" may denote the following genera of the tribe Coturnicini:

Genus Synoicus Brown quail, Synoicus ypsilophorus Snow Mountain quail, Synoicus monorthonyx Blue quail, Synoicus adansonii King quail, Synoicus chinensis Genus Coturnix Rain quail, Coturnix coromandelica Harlequin quail, Coturnix delegorguei Common quail, Coturnix coturnix †Canary Islands quail, Coturnix gomerae (fossil) Japanese quail, Coturnix japonica †New Zealand quail, Coturnix novaezelandiae (extinct) Stubble quail, Coturnix pectoralis Genus Perdicula Jungle bush quail, Perdicula asiatica Rock bush quail, Perdicula argoondah Painted bush quail, Perdicula erythrorhyncha Manipur bush quail, Perdicula manipurensis Genus Ophrysia Himalayan quail, Ophrysia superciliosa (critically endangered/extinct)

Behaviour Old World quail are small, plump terrestrial birds. They are seed eaters, but will also take insects and similar small prey. They nest on the ground and are capable of short, rapid bursts of flight. Some species, such as the Japanese and common quail, are migratory and fly for long distances. Some quail are farmed in large numbers. The common and Japanese (or coturnix) quail are both raised for table meat or to produce eggs. They are also readily hunted, often artificially stocked on game farms or to supplement wild populations. Migrating common quail are known to eat some poisonous seeds with no apparent ill effects but store the poison in their body fat, poisoning people who subsequently eat these birds; this condition is known as "coturnism".

References

External links

The dictionary definition of quail at Wiktionary

Illustrations

Old World quail illustration
Old World quail: A quail trap from Malaysia, also known as the jebak puyuh: A female quail was placed in the woven container behind the netting. As the female called out, a male mate would approach and then the trap would fall on him. Quails are now rarely found in the wild in Malaysia, so such devices now serve as decoration.[1]
A quail trap from Malaysia, also known as the jebak puyuh: A female quail was placed in the woven container behind the netting. As the female called out, a male mate would approach and then the trap would fall on him. Quails are now rarely found in the wild in Malaysia, so such devices now serve as decoration.[1]

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Old World quail

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Old World quail claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Old World quail before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Old World quail ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Old World quail

In research
Old World quail appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Old World quail in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Old World quail is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Bird common names, Coturnicini, Quails, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Old World quail outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Old World quail in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Old World quail means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Old World quail out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Old World quail in simple terms?

"Old World quail" is a collective term for several unrelated genera of smaller galliform species under the tribe Coturnicini of the subfamily Phasianinae. Note that although species which are commonly referred to as "Old World quail" fall in the same tribe, they are paraphyletic with respect to the…

Why does Old World quail matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Old World quail?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Old World quail.

Tags

  • Bird common names
  • Coturnicini
  • Quails

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