What they like

Open, dry to slightly damp farmland with messy edges. Short stretches of herb-rich grass next to strips of rough vegetation you almost don't want to walk through. Leave verges and ditch banks uncut until after July. Mow in stages: never everything at once. Tall grass, nettle, thistle, clover, plantain. And keep it dark at night: fewer lights, more quail rest.

Ecological importance

Feeds mainly on seeds and young shoots; during the breeding season also insects and larvae. In doing so it helps dampen insect peaks and spreads seeds through its rummaging and scratching. Quails are also prey for raptors and foxes: without quail it becomes quieter and poorer in the food chain.

When in the Netherlands

Mainly from April to September. Migratory bird. You often hear the call in the evenings and at night, hidden in the grass.

Status

Rare, sharply declined breeding bird. Dependent on herb-rich, late-mown farmland and rough edges.