Jungle bush quail
Jungle bush quail
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Jungle bush quail

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Jungle bush quail

The jungle bush quail (Perdicula asiatica) is a species of quail in the family Phasianidae. It is native to the Indian subcontinent, where it is found in peninsular India and Sri Lanka. It has also been reported from Nepal but has not been seen there since the 19th century, and an introduced population exists on the island of Réunion. A small species of quail 15–18 cm (5.9–7.1 in) long and weighing 57–82 g (2.0–2.9 oz), it shows significant sexual dimorphism. Males have brown upperparts with blackish and buff marking and whitish underparts with black barring. The face is mainly dark reddish-brown, with brown ear-coverts, a buffy-white moustachial stripe, and the supercilium turning whitish towards the back of the neck. Females have a similar pattern, but with pinkish-brown underparts, more uniform wings, and duller moustachial stripes.

The species inhabits dry areas with shrubby or rocky cover in a variety of habitats. It feeds on seeds and small insects, typically in small groups of 6–25 birds. Breeding starts at the end of the rains and lasts until the end of the cold season, with the exact timing varying across its range. It nests in shallow scrapes in cover and lays clutches of 4–8 eggs. Incubation is only done by the female. The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers the jungle bush quail to be of least concern due to its large range and stable population.

The jungle bush quail was originally described as Perdix asiatica by John Latham in 1790 based on specimens from the "Mahratta region". It was moved to the genus Perdicula, of which it is the type species, by Brian Hodgson in 1837. The generic name Perdicula is a Modern Latin diminutive of the genus Perdix, and means "small partridge". The specific epithet asiatica comes from the Latin asiaticus, meaning Asiatic. Jungle bush quail is the official common name designated by the International Ornithologists' Union. Other names for the species include jungle quail, jungle bush-quail, jungle bushquail, Ceylon jungle bush quail, and Konkan jungle bush quail.

There are five recognised subspecies of the jungle bush quail:

Jungle bush quails are a small species of quail, 15–18 cm (5.9–7.1 in) long and weighing 57–82 g (2.0–2.9 oz). Adult males have a dull brown mantle, back, scapulars and wings, with buff streaking and blackish-brown blotches. The breasts, flanks, and upper belly are whitish with narrow black barring, while the lower belly and undertail coverts are reddish-buff. The forehead, lores, and supercilium are dark reddish-brown, with the supercilium turning buffy-white behind the eye towards the back of the neck. The top of the head and back of the neck are dark reddish-brown with blackish-brown mottling, while the ear-coverts are dark brown. The chin and throat are also dark reddish-brown and are separated from the ear-coverts by a buffy-white moustachial stripe.

The species shows significant sexual dimorphism, with females having dull pinkish-brown underparts, more uniform and less barred wings with less blotching, and duller moustachial stripes. Some older females may develop pale barring on the breast. Juveniles are similar to the female, but have whitish streaks on the side of the head, throat, and breast. The upperparts have more markings and the primaries are mottled and barred. Males develop barring on the underparts during their first winter, around the age of three months. The bill is blackish in adult males and dull brownish-grey in all other plumages. The legs are pinkish to dull red and are reddest in males. The iris is pale to orange brown.

The jungle bush quail is unlikely to be confused with Turnix or Coturnix quails, but it may mistaken for the rock bush quail. The latter species is less sexually dimorphic and differs in the pattern of the eyestripe, which is shorter and whiter, and the throat, which is reddish-white with a white moustachial stripe.

The advertising call of the jungle bush quail is a harsh, rhythmic chee-chee-chuck, chee-chee-chuck that is similar to the call of a black drongo in dispute. When flocks are separated, they reassemble using a low, whistling tiri-tiri-tiri or whi-whi-whi-whi-whi. Groups may also give burbling or grating notes that quicken into a frenzy. Other calls include a low chuckle made when flushed and harsh notes given as an alarm call.

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