Japanese Quail vs Rain Quail

Japanese Quail

Coturnix japonica

Medium95 gGrassland

The morphology of the Japanese quail differs depending on its stage in life. As chicks, both male and female individuals exhibit the same kind of plumage and coloring. Their heads are tawny in color, with small black patches littering the area above the beak. The wings and the back of the chick are a pale brown, the back also having four brown stripes running along its length. A pale yellow-brown stripe surrounded by smaller black stripes runs down the top of the head. The plumage of the Japanese quail is sexually dimorphic, allowing for differing sexes to be distinguished from one another. Voice: Some 28 different call types have been distinguished based on the circumstances in which they are used and the various behaviors that are exhibited during the call. The call types of the Japanese quail differ between male and female, the same stimulus resulting in differing vocalizations.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recorded by Oriental Stork · Song · 大宁水库及其东部永定河废弃河道,Beijing,China, China · CC0

Photo: Kirill Tsukanov · CC0

Rain Quail

Coturnix coromandelica

Medium74 gGrassland

The rain quail lacks barring on primaries. The male has a black breast-patch and distinctive head pattern of black and white. The female is difficult to separate from female common quail and Japanese quail, although the spots on the breast are more delicate. It is 6–6.5 in (15–17 cm) and weighs roughly 2.25–2.5 oz (64–71 g). The call is a metallic pair of quit- quit nots, constantly repeated mornings and evenings, and in the breeding season also during the night. It is quite unmistakably distinct from the call of the common grey quail.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recorded by Mike Prince · Call · Divar Island, North Goa, Goa, India · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Vinayak Yardi · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Japanese Quail and Rain Quail.