21 Mar
2019
Despite
its attempts to live a secretive life, the migration route of the endearingly
rotund Common Quail leaves it subject to illegal trapping. Action is needed -
with your help we can halt their decline and protect many other bird species at
the same time.
By
Cressida Stevens
The
Common Quail is one of seven flagship birds in our Flight for Survival campaign to
raise awareness of the scope and scale of the illegal killing of migratory
birds.
The
small, seemingly shy Common Quail Coturnix coturnix prefers to stay hidden
amongst the rough grasses of farmland as it forages with its long, sharp claws
for insects and seeds. Birdwatchers have much better chances of hearing their
characteristic call than seeing them. Though a frustration to birdwatchers,
their secretive behaviour is for their own good, since unfortunately when they
do encounter humans it is often at their peril.
With
streaked and barred brown feathers and a prominent white eye-stripe, they are
distinctive in appearance, but their small and stocky build gives no allusion
to the impressive flying feats this species is capable of. These birds
habitually avoid flying: if disturbed, they prefer to either run away or
‘freeze’, hoping to go unnoticed. However, this changes in a spectacular
fashion when, using their disproportionately long and powerful wings, they take
to the skies to migrate between their breeding grounds in northern Europe and
wintering grounds in the Sahel belt of sub-Saharan Africa. This makes them the
only species of their order (which includes pheasants, partridges and grouse to
name a few) which migrate.
No comments:
Post a Comment