| Quail | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Brown quail (Synoicus ypsilophorus) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Superfamily: | Phasianoidea |
| Groups included | |
| |
| Cladistically included but traditionally excluded taxa | |
| |
Quail is a collective name for severalgenera of mid-sizedbirds generally placed in the orderGalliformes. Thecollective noun for a group of quail is aflock, covey,[1] or bevy.[2]
Old World quail are placed in the familyPhasianidae, andNew World quail are placed in the familyOdontophoridae. The species ofbuttonquail are named for their superficial resemblance to quail, and form thefamily Turnicidae in theorderCharadriiformes. Theking quail, an Old World quail, often is sold in the pet trade, and within this trade is commonly, though mistakenly, referred to as a "button quail". Many of the common larger species are farm-raised fortable food oregg consumption, and arehunted on game farms or in the wild, where they may be released to supplement the wild population, or extend into areas outside their natural range. In 2007, 40 million quail were produced in the United States.[3]
Quail that have fed onhemlock (e.g., during migration) may induceacute kidney injury due to accumulation of toxic substances from the hemlock in the meat; this problem is referred to as "coturnism".[5]
