Quail

For other uses, see Quail (disambiguation).
Quail
Brown quail, Coturnix ypsilophora
Call of a male common Quail
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae, Odontophoridae

Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes.

Old World quail are placed in the family Phasianidae, and New World quail are placed in the family Odontophoridae. The species of buttonquail are named for their superficial resemblance to quail, and form the family Turnicidae in the order Charadriiformes. The king quail, an Old World quail, often is sold in the pet trade, and within this trade is commonly, though mistakenly, referred to as a "button quail". Many of the common larger species are farm-raised for table food or egg consumption, and are hunted on game farms or in the wild, where they may be released to supplement the wild population, or extend into areas outside their natural range. In 2007, 40 million quail were produced in the U.S.[1]

The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey[2] or bevy.[3]

New World quail (Odontophoridae)

Old World quail (Phasianidae)

Quails in cookery

Main article: Quails in cookery

Quail that have fed on hemlock (e.g., during migration) may induce acute renal failure due to accumulation of toxic substances from the hemlock in the meat; this problem is referred to as "coturnism".[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 2007 Census of Agriculture: United States Summary and State Data Volume 1 • Geographic Area Series • Part 51 AC-07-A-51 (PDF). USDA. February 2009. p. 423.
  2. ↑ USGS - Animal Congregations, or What Do You Call a Group
  3. ↑ "Bevy", Merriam-Webster.com.
  4. ↑ Tsironi M, Andriopoulos P, Xamodraka E, et al. (2004). "The patient with rhabdomyolysis: have you considered quail poisoning?". CMAJ 171 (4): 325–6. doi:10.1503/cmaj.1031256. PMC 509041. PMID 15313988.
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