Common Quail calling at night (1 Viewer)

[payaminotom]

Last year, during the second week of October, I was working in sicily and stayed in a small rural village near Catania in the middle of farmland, mainly leguminous crops and vegetables. On the second night there, from my window I heard a familiar call, common quails, atleast 5 singing from the adjacent farmland. I thought it strange as I'd never heard them call at night before, they began about an hour after sunset and sang almost constantly. The day after there was complete silence, I didn't hear any all through the day, but the following night I heard them again, calling from the same spot. After this I did some investigating, and found no evidence that there were any being kept captive, though there was a small walled off roofless farm building in the same field, which I don't know what was inside. The following night I did not hear them, and they didn't call again the whole following week.

In summary, a group of quails sang nocturnally from farm fields on two consecutive nights, then seemingly disappeared, during the potential return migration season. And so my question is, do migrating common quails sing at night? Or is this a behaviour adopted by captive birds? I'd be very interested to learn if anyone has any information, as there is very little available online.

 

[Steve Lister]

No idea about captive birds but migrating birds at night are often detected by them giving the same 'wet my lips' call while flying over in the dark.

 

[payaminotom]

No idea about captive birds but migrating birds at night are often detected by them giving the same 'wet my lips' call while flying over in the dark.

Thanks Steve, these birds were definitely landed. Perhaps their nocturnal migratory habits could influence their activity during that season. However, in Sicily, especially near the Messina Straight (about 45min drive), sadly I know there are still a lot of hunting practises occurring with migratory birds, and so quail trapping could potentially be going on.

 

[jogresh]

I'd assume it was a tape being played to lure migrating Quail in - I came across the same thing in Syria when working with Syrian conservationists, and that was the cause.

 

[payaminotom]

I'd assume it was a tape being played to lure migrating Quail in - I came across the same thing in Syria when working with Syrian conservationists, and that was the cause.

Wow very interesting insight, I had honestly not considered it. At the time it sounded like it was coming from real birds, but then again I was always listening from a window... I genuinely think you're probably right.

 

[jogresh]

Yes I had the same reaction initially, couldn't understand what the hell was going on. Luckily I was working with a couple of local conservationists who were able to explain the situation.

 

[jurek]

It's rather normal behavior of quail on migration.

 

[payaminotom]

It's rather normal behavior of quail on migration.

Normal for them to call at night yes, but usually in flight. Is it normal for landed quails to call for two consecutive nights whilst being undetectable in the day?

 

[dantheman]

Normal for them to call at night yes, but usually in flight. Is it normal for landed quails to call for two consecutive nights whilst being undetectable in the day?

Undetectable in the day sounds normal ;-)

You say 5 calling - from different parts of the field, so either 5 tape lures (or captive birds) or 5 real wild birds ... ?? Are we talking about a large area, and trappers could have been moving about unbeknownst to you? (And the roofless building perhaps a shooting blind?)

Do Quail call regularly on late migration? - sorry don't know the answer, but I'd assume not at the level you describe.

 

[jurek]

Normal for them to call at night yes, but usually in flight. Is it normal for landed quails to call for two consecutive nights whilst being undetectable in the day?

Yes, pretty normal. I even heard them calling for 2 consecutive nights from grass lawn in a built-up area.