MyKrugerHoliday
Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source ↗
Harlequin Quail
Bontkwartel · Coturnix delegorguei
A small, strikingly marked quail that arrives with the summer rains and can appear suddenly in numbers when grassland is lush. The male's chestnut-and-black plumage is far bolder than the plain Common Quail. It feeds on seeds and insects and keeps well hidden, flushing only when nearly stepped on.
Log your Harlequin Quail sighting — free →How to identify it
Tiny quail; the male is boldly marked with black-and-white face and rich chestnut underparts, and shows rufous in the wing.
Listen for its call
A whistled 'whit, whit-whit' from thick grass - rarely seen, often heard.
Where to see it in Kruger
Tall moist grassland after good rains, hidden low in the grass and flushing only at the last second.
Did you know
Males arrive in summer and call loudly through the night to claim a patch of grassland.
Often confused with
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