# How Fast Is A Quail?

> Quail top speed is about Fast, low, whirring flight. Sprint vs endurance and what limits pace.

- **Species:** Quail (*Coturnix coturnix*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Omnivore (seeds and insects)
- **Habitat:** Grassland, meadows, and farmland
- **Lifespan:** 3–5 years
- **Top speed:** Fast, low, whirring flight
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/quail/how-fast-is-a-quail/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/quail/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

A quail is a small, plump ground-dwelling bird with mottled brown camouflage plumage, found in grasslands and farmland worldwide. The common quail is migratory and famous for its distinctive three-note call. Quails feed on seeds and insects, nest on the ground, and usually live 3 to 5 years.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need the full biology — use the [Quail profile](https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/quail/) instead.

## Small, round, and hidden

Quails are small, rounded birds that spend most of their lives on the ground, relying on streaky brown plumage to vanish into grass and crops. They prefer to run or crouch rather than fly, and when flushed they burst into a fast, low, whirring flight before dropping back into cover.

## Help protect the Quail

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/quail/how-fast-is-a-quail/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.