Coturnix chinensis

General description: 

Male very distinctive with chesnut belly and lack of chesnut wing patch. Female less distinct barring on upper wing coverts. Immature male similar to adult female, but has more conspicuous black and buff markings above. Immature female as udult, but with more spotted, less barred underparts.

Conservation status: 

Least Concerned

Diagnostic description: 

Male very distinctive with chesnut belly and lack of chesnut wing patch. Female less distinct barring on upper wing coverts. Immature male similar to adult female, but has more conspicuous black and buff markings above. Immature female as udult, but with more spotted, less barred underparts.

Morphology: 

12-15 cm, 20-57 g, wingspan 25 cm.

Size: 

12-15 cm, 20-57 g, wingspan 25 cm.

Phylogeny: 

Previously placed in genus Excalfactoria. Sometimes considered conspecific with C. adansonii, with which forms superspecies. As consequence of transfer of present species from Excalfactoria to Coturnix, subspecies name australis preoccupied by C. ypsilophora australis, so gives place to junior synonym victoriae. Ten subspecies recognized.

Distribution: 

Subspecies and Distribution:  chinensis (Linnaeus, 1766) - India and Sri Lanka E through Indochina to SE China and Taiwan, and S to Malay Peninsula.  trinkutensis (Richmond, 1902) - Nicobar Is; also said to occur in Andaman Is (race unspecified).  palmeri (Riley, 1919) - Sumatra and Java.  lineata (Scopoli, 1786) - Philippines, Borneo and Sulawesi.  lineatula (Rensch, 1931) - Lombok E to Timor, Lesser Sundas.  novaeguineae Rand, 1942 - mountains of New Guinea.  papuensis Mayr & Rand, 1937 - SE New Guinea.  lepida (Hartlaub, 1879) - Bismarck Archipelago.  colletti (Mathews, 1912) - Northern Territory, Australia.  victoriae (Mathews, 1912) - E Australia.

Habitat: 

Dense grassland, shrubland, swmp edges, cultivation with unkept areas, and depleted woodland, chiefly found in plains, but up to 2000 in suitable areas.

Migration: 

Sedentary

Trophic strategy: 

Apparently mainly grass seeds, green blades and some insect, both adults and larvae. Forages on the ground.

Reproduction: 

Season probably related to rainfall patterns. Monogamous. Nest is depression on ground lined with dry grass. Normally 4-7 eggs, incubation 16-18 days. Chisks have ginger brown above with bold blackish stripes, buff below, young capable of flight at 4 weeks. Sexual maturity in 3 months.

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith