Head to head
Common Quail vs Northern Bobwhite
The common quail and northern bobwhite are both small, well-camouflaged ground birds prized as game species, but one undertakes a remarkable migration while the other stays close to home year-round.
| Common Quail | Northern Bobwhite | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Coturnix coturnix | Colinus virginianus |
| Migration | Crosses the Mediterranean twice yearly | Largely sedentary |
| Signature call | Three-note "wet-my-lips" call | Whistled "bob-WHITE" call |
| Social structure | Solitary or loosely social | Forms tight-knit coveys |
| Native range | Europe, Asia, and Africa | Eastern and central United States, Mexico |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Near Threatened |
| Population trend | Decreasing | Decreasing |
| Habitat | Grassland, forest | Grassland, forest |
Common Quail vs Northern Bobwhite: common questions
Which of these two quail species migrates long distances?
The common quail is one of the very few genuinely migratory quail species, crossing the Mediterranean Sea twice a year despite being a small, relatively weak-flying bird, while the northern bobwhite is largely sedentary and stays within its home range year-round.
How did each species get its distinctive name?
The northern bobwhite is named after its clear whistled "bob-WHITE" call, which sounds remarkably like the bird announcing its own name, while the common quail is instead best known for a distinctive three-note call often rendered as "wet-my-lips."
Which species is more social, the common quail or the northern bobwhite?
The northern bobwhite is considerably more social, forming tight-knit groups called coveys that roost and forage together outside the breeding season, while the common quail tends to be more solitary or loosely associated with others of its kind.