A quail bird is a small ground-nesting game bird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. There are roughly 130 species of quail, and they are generally placed in the order Galliformes. Some key characteristics of quail birds include:

• Appearance: Quail birds are small, compact, and plump with short necks and legs. They have short, curved beaks and are typically brown or gray with streaks or spots. Many species have a cute little feathered plume on the top of their head.

• Habitat: Quail birds prefer to live in fields and cropland, and they are known as ground-dwelling birds. They typically nest in grasslands and fields in areas with plenty of vegetation for cover, although sometimes they can be underneath bushes.

• Behavior: Quail birds are ground-feeders and spend most of their time on the ground. They are known for their unusual call and their short yet fast flights. They can run up to 12 mph when startled, and the short flights that these birds take when startled are called “flushing”.

• Diet: Quail birds eat mainly seeds and berries but also take leaves, roots, and some insects.

• Reproduction: Quail birds nest on the ground, and the nests are usually just a shallow depression in the ground which is around 5 to 7 inches wide and is lined with grass, leaves, and twigs. Most clutches contain 12 to 16 eggs, and they can rear two broods per year.

• Distribution: Quail birds are found in large areas of North America, Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. They also inhabit South America and Australia to a lesser extent.

Quail birds are popular game birds, and their meat is widely eaten around the world. Although there are many wild species of quail, quite often quails are kept on large game farms and bred specifically for sport and for their meat.