Blue quail

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Blue quail

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae
Genus: Synoicus
Species:
S. adansonii
Binomial name
Synoicus adansonii
(Verreaux & Verreaux, 1851)
Synonyms
  • Excalfactoria adansonii
  • Coturnix adansonii
  • Coturnix adansoni

The blue quail or African blue quail[2] (Synoicus adansonii) is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae found in sub-Saharan Africa.

Taxonomy

The blue quail was described as Coturnix adansonii by

monotypic.[7]

Distribution and habitat

The species is found in sub-Saharan Africa.[2] It ranges from Sierra Leone to Ethiopia, and south to Zambia, and eastward to Kenya.[8] The habitat of the blue quail excludes dry areas. Inhabiting mainly grassland and fields, the birds typically live near rivers or other bodies of water.[8]

Description

The blue quail is 14–16.5 cm (5.5–6.5 in) long and weighs 43–44 g (1.5–1.6 oz).

sexually dimorphic.[2] The male's plumage is mostly dark slaty-blue, with rufous patches on its wings.[9] The male has a black beak,[2] a brown head,[8] and a black and white throat.[9] There is a white patch on its breast. Its flight feathers are brown. The forehead, sides of the head and neck, and flanks of the female are orange-buff. Its crown is brown, with black mottles.[2] The female's beak is brownish. Its underparts are buff, with black bars, and its upperparts have black and rufous mottles and streaks. The juvenile is similar to the female.[2]

Behaviour

The blue quail is migratory, changing regions at the start of the rainy season and again early in the dry season.

precocial.[8]

Status

The blue quail has a large range and appears to have a stable population trend. The

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has listed the species as least concern.[1]

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22678971A92796857.en
    . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. ^
    ISBN 9781408135655
    .
  3. ^ Verreaux, Jules; Verreaux, Ed. (1851). "Description d'espèces nouvelles d'oiseaux du Gabon (côte occidentale d'Afrique)". Revue et magasin de zoologie pure et appliquée. 2 (in French). 3 (11): 513–516.
  4. ISBN 9781408133262
    .
  5. PMID 21716735
    .
  6. PMID 19636374
    .
  7. ^ McGowan, P. J. K.; Kirwan, G. M. (2020). "African Blue Quail (Synoicus adansonii)". In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D. A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Pappas, J. "Coturnix adansonii". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  9. ^
    ISBN 9781408135761
    .

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blue_quail&oldid=1210802253"