Photo: 孫鋒林 from Taipei, Taiwan / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Near Threatened

Game Birds

Japanese Quail

Coturnix japonica

Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica) — Gamebirds of Europe & Northern Asia.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Australia Birds of Canada Birds of Germany Birds of Spain Birds of France Birds of the United Kingdom Birds of India Birds of Japan Birds of Portugal Birds of Thailand

By family

Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of Australia Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of Canada Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of Germany Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of Spain Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of France Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of the United Kingdom Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of India Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of Japan Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of Portugal Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of Thailand

See what's near you right now

The Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica) is a member of the Phasianidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 94.8 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

NT Near Threatened

Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Galliformes
Family Phasianidae Pheasants & Allies
Genus Coturnix
Species japonica

Where it lives

Mongolia and eastern Siberia, Japan and Korean Pen.

Europe & Northern Asia

Quick facts

Weight: 94.8 g
Diet: Omnivores
Family: Phasianidae
Order: Galliformes
Habitat: Grassland & open country

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Japanese Quail is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Behaviour

A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Japanese Quail is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica) is a species of bird in the Phasianidae family, part of the order Galliformes. It is found across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL Mongolia and e Siberia, Japan and Korean Pen.

It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 94.8 g, with a wing length of about 9.7 cm and a tail of around 3.5 cm.

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 3.2 million km².

Songs & calls

Japanese Quail — Song

Recorded by Vadim Ivushkin Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Japanese Quail?

The Japanese Quail is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 94.8 g.

Where does the Japanese Quail live?

The Japanese Quail is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL Mongolia and e Siberia, Japan and Korean Pen, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.

What family does the Japanese Quail belong to?

The Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica) belongs to the Phasianidae family, in the order Galliformes.

What does the Japanese Quail eat?

The Japanese Quail is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Does the Japanese Quail migrate?

The Japanese Quail is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Japanese Quail endangered?

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

What sound does the Japanese Quail make?

1 real field recording of the Japanese Quail — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Japanese Quail's range?

The Japanese Quail has a mapped global range of about 3.2 million km².