Jungle bush quail

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Jungle bush quail
The Jungle Bush Quail.jpg
Male
Earth Day 2015! (17209321666).jpg
Female

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae
Genus: Perdicula
Species:
P. asiatica
Binomial name
Perdicula asiatica
(Latham, 1790)
Eggs, Collection Museum Wiesbaden

The jungle bush quail (Perdicula asiatica) is a species of quail found in the Indian subcontinent, ranging across India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The species is not globally threatened as it has an extensive range and tends to avoid agricultural areas. The population in Sri Lanka has contracted since the 1950s, but is thought to be widespread and common elsewhere in the range.

The jungle bush quail is largely sedentary, although the birds in Nepal are thought to migrate in winter.

Taxonomy and systematics[]

The jungle bush quail was originally described as Perdix asiatica by John Latham in 1790 based on specimens from the "Mahratta region".[2] It was moved to the genus Perdicula, of which it is the type species, by Brian Hodgson in 1837.[3] 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.[4] 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.[5]

The jungle bush quail is one of four species in the genus Perdicula.

Subspecies[]

There are five recognised subspecies of the jungle bush quail:[6]

  • P. a. asiatica (Latham, 1790): The nominate subspecies, it is found in north and central India.
  • P. a. vidali Whistler & Kinnear, 1936: Found in southwest India.
  • P. a. ceylonensis Whistler & Kinnear, 1936: Found on Sri Lanka.
  • P. a. punjaubi Whistler, 1939: Also known as the Punjab jungle bush quail, it is found in northwestern India.
  • P. a. vellorei Abdulali & , 1965: Found in south India.

Description[]

Very different from the female, the male jungle bush quail has a white moustache, heavily barred white underparts, and variegated wings. The female has a uniform, rich chestnut breast and belly. However, both the male and the female have red and white streaks on the head. It is roughly 6.3–7.2 in (16–18 cm) in length and weighs 2–2.85 oz (57–81 g).[7]

Distribution and habitat[]

The jungle bush quail is native to the Indian subcontinent, where it is found throughout peninsular India north to Gujarat, Odisha, and the Kashmir foothills, along with Sri Lanka. It has also been reported from Nepal, but has not been recorded there since the 19th century. It was introduced to Réunion around 1850 and to Mauritius around 1860, but the latter population is now locally extinct.[8][9][10]

It inhabits dry areas with shrubby or rocky cover, in habitats ranging from thin grasslands to dense deciduous forest. It is found at elevations up to 1,200 m (3,900 ft), but at elevations up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft) in the Western Ghats and southern India. It is generally non-migratory, but may be a migrant in Nepal.[8][9]

Behaviour and ecology[]

The jungle bush quail is typically seen in groups of 6–25 birds (called coveys) while dust bathing on tracks or foraging in grassland. Coveys walk along well-trodden paths to drink in the morning and evening, and create tunnel-like tracks through tall grass while doing so. The species prefers to walk or run away from potential danger, and will only fly away as a last resort. When alarmed, coveys will sit at the base of a bush before flying explosively into different directions. After a short time, they will start running and regroup by gathering towards each others' calls. Roosting occurs on the ground.[8][9]

Diet[]

The jungle bush quail feeds on seeds, such as those of grass, weeds, gram, and millets, along with small insects like termites and their larvae.[8][9]

Breeding[]

A juvenile jungle bush quail.

The breeding season of the jungle bush quail starts with the end of the rains and lasts until the end of the cold season, with the exact period varying: from January to March in Karnataka, from October to March in the Deccan plateau, from August to April in central India, and from March to April in eastern central India and Sri Lanka. In Réunion, breeding occurs in November.[8][9]

The species is seemingly monogamous. Nests are shallow grass-lined scrapes located in cover at the base of grass. Clutches can contain 4–8 eggs, but usually have 5–6. The eggs are creamy white to pale buff, and measure 24 mm–28.4 mm × 18.4 mm–22 mm (0.94 in–1.12 in × 0.72 in–0.87 in). Incubation takes 16–18 days in the wild and 21–22 days in captivity, and is done only by the female. After the eggs hatch, the male helps guard and raise the chicks.[8][9]

Status[]

The jungle bush quail is listed as being of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on the IUCN Red List due to its large range and stable population.[11] It is generally common throughout India, although it is reported to be uncommon in Kerala, and locally in extinct in parts of Gujarat and in Uttara Kannada, Karnataka. In Sri Lanka, it was reportedly common until the 1950's, but is now only locally plentiful in the hills of the Uva Province. It has not been reported from Nepal since the 19th century, and reports from there and Cachar in Assam may be erroneous. The introduced population on Réunion is declining but still locally common, while the one on Mauritius is extinct.[8][9]

References[]

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2018). "Perdicula asiatica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22678997A131873750. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22678997A131873750.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ^ Latham, John (1790). Index ornithologicus, sive, Systema ornithologiae : complectens avium divisionem in classes, ordines, genera, species, ipsarumque varietates : adjectis synonymis, locis, descriptionibus, &c. 2. Londini: Sumptibus authoris. pp. 649–650.
  3. ^ Cottrell, G. William; Greenway, James C.; Mayr, Ernst; Paynter, Raymond A.; Peters, James Lee; Traylor, Melvin A. (1934). Check-list of birds of the world. 2. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. p. 97.
  4. ^ Jobling, James A. (2010). Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. Christopher Helm. pp. 297, 57. ISBN 978-1-4081-3326-2.
  5. ^ "Perdicula asiatica (Jungle Bush-Quail) - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  6. ^ "Pheasants, partridges, francolins – IOC World Bird List". Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  7. ^ Hume, A.O.; Marshall, C.H.T. (1880). Game Birds of India, Burmah and Ceylon. II. Calcutta: A.O. Hume and C.H.T. Marshall. p. 116.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Madge, Steve; Phil, MacGowan (2010). Pheasants, Partridges, and Grouse: Including buttonquails, sandgrouse, and allies. London, United Kingdom: Christopher Helm. pp. 247–248. ISBN 978-1-4081-3565-5.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g McGowan, Philip J.K.; Kirwan, Guy M. (2020-03-04), Billerman, Shawn M.; Keeney, Brooke K.; Rodewald, Paul G.; Schulenberg, Thomas S. (eds.), "Jungle Bush-Quail (Perdicula asiatica)", Birds of the World, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, doi:10.2173/bow.jubqua1.01, retrieved 2021-12-23
  10. ^ Lever, Christopher (2005). Naturalised Birds of the World. London: T & A.D. Poyser. pp. 44–46. ISBN 0-7136-7006-1. OCLC 70122838.
  11. ^ IUCN (2018-08-07). "Perdicula asiatica: BirdLife International: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22678997A131873750". doi:10.2305/iucn.uk.2018-2.rlts.t22678997a131873750.en. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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