Coturnix coturnix (Linnaeus, 1758).

Length 18 cm. This is a small gamebird with a characteristic high-pitched call. The male is striped brown and white with a little black and blackish throat markings. Female and immature birds are generally duller in color. The Common Quail favors dense herbage that is less than one meter tall and avoids the bare ground. It feeds on seeds, grass, herbs, and grain but also takes invertebrates from the ground including worms, spiders, and beetles. It is reported to be both monogamous and promiscuous. The nest is a scrape in the grass in grassy cover constructed by the female; the 5-7 eggs are incubated for 18-20 days by the female only. This bird migrates to Egypt during spring and is commonly found along the Mediterranean Coast. It is also a rare breeder and is distributed on the Mediterranean Coast, North Sinai, and the Nile Valley and Delta.