As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Monday 1 April 2019

This shy bird can escape a birdwatcher’s eye, but not illegal trappers' nets


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.


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