Introduction
The Painted Bush Quail, also known as the Painted Bush-quail, is a small ground-dwelling quail endemic to peninsular India. Its accepted scientific name is Perdicula erythrorhyncha. The species is associated mainly with hill country, grass, scrub and lightly wooded habitats, where it usually remains concealed until a covey is disturbed.
Physical Description
The Painted Bush Quail is a compact bird measuring approximately 15–18 centimetres in length. Both sexes have a deep red bill and red legs, features that are particularly useful for identification.
Males are strongly patterned, with dark upperparts, chestnut and reddish underparts, and contrasting white and black markings on the head and throat. Females are generally duller and less boldly marked. They lack the male’s prominent white throat and head pattern, giving them a more cryptic appearance. Juveniles are less distinctly patterned than adults and are typically browner and more subdued.
Two geographical forms have traditionally been recognised. The nominate form, P. e. erythrorhyncha, occurs mainly in the Western Ghats and associated southern ranges. The form P. e. blewitti, found farther north and east, is generally described as smaller and paler, although the treatment of subspecies may vary between taxonomic authorities.
Range and Habitat
The Painted Bush Quail is endemic to India. Its distribution is concentrated in the hills of peninsular India, including the Western Ghats and parts of the adjoining Eastern Ghats and central Indian hill ranges. The species has been recorded from areas extending from western and central India southwards through the Nilgiris, Palni Hills and other ranges of southern India.
It favours broken hill country with tall grass, thin scrub, ferns, bushes and open patches near woodland edges. It may also occur in lightly wooded country, cultivation and other disturbed habitats where dense ground cover remains available. Historical accounts commonly place it between about 600 and 2,100 metres, although the species’ use of elevation varies across its range.
The Painted Bush Quail is considered resident rather than migratory. Its distribution is naturally uneven, reflecting the availability of suitable hill habitats and ground cover.
Behaviour and Diet
Painted Bush Quails are secretive, terrestrial birds that usually move in small coveys. Groups of about six to ten birds are frequently reported, although covey size can vary. They spend much of their time walking or running through grass and low vegetation rather than flying.
The birds commonly feed in the early morning and late afternoon, when they emerge into more open patches. Their diet includes seeds, grains and other plant material, supplemented by insects and other small invertebrates. Invertebrate food is likely to be especially important for growing young birds and during breeding.
When alarmed, a covey may scatter through the vegetation. Members then call to one another and gradually reunite. The species has a soft, repeated whistling contact or alarm call. When flushed at close range, it usually flies low and quickly into cover rather than making a prolonged flight.
Breeding takes place locally during or after the rainy season, although the timing varies across India. The nest is a shallow scrape on the ground, usually placed beneath a bush, grass clump or other cover and lined sparsely with grass and leaves. Published accounts report clutches of several eggs, commonly about four to seven, with incubation lasting approximately 16–18 days. The chicks are precocial and can leave the nest soon after hatching, following the adults while feeding on their own.
Identification Tips
Look for a small, dark, compact quail moving through grass, scrub or rocky hill vegetation in a group. The most useful field marks are:
- A deep red bill and red legs.
- A dark, richly coloured body with chestnut or reddish underparts.
- A boldly patterned male with a white throat and contrasting head markings.
- A plainer female, lacking the male’s conspicuous white throat and head stripe.
- Rapid, low flight into dense cover when flushed.
- Soft whistles from birds attempting to maintain contact after a covey has been disturbed.
The Painted Bush Quail can be confused with other Perdicula species where their ranges overlap. Habitat is helpful: the Painted Bush Quail is particularly associated with hill country and dense grass or scrub cover, whereas the Jungle Bush Quail is more typical of drier, more open lowland habitats. The red bill and legs, together with the male’s white throat and strongly patterned head, are useful distinguishing features.
Conservation Status
The Painted Bush Quail is currently assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. A precise global population estimate is not available, and the species’ population trend is not sufficiently documented to support a detailed numerical assessment.
The main conservation concern is the loss or degradation of suitable grass, scrub and lightly wooded hill habitat through agricultural expansion, changes in land use, development and the removal of dense ground cover. Hunting and trapping have also been reported as pressures on bush quails in parts of India, although the scale of their current effect on this species is uncertain.
Maintaining connected areas of natural vegetation, protecting hill habitats within reserves and wildlife sanctuaries, retaining dense cover around forest edges and regulating hunting are important conservation measures. Further field surveys would help clarify the species’ distribution, population trend and local threats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Painted Bush Quail found?
The species is endemic to India and occurs mainly in the hills of peninsular India, especially the Western Ghats and some adjoining ranges in central and eastern India.
Is the Painted Bush Quail migratory?
No. It is generally regarded as a resident species, although local movements may occur as birds respond to food availability, rainfall and changes in vegetation cover.
What does the Painted Bush Quail eat?
It feeds mainly on seeds, grains and other plant material, with insects and other small invertebrates forming an additional part of the diet.
How does the Painted Bush Quail behave when disturbed?
A covey usually scatters through the grass or scrub. The birds may then call to one another and gradually reunite. If forced to fly, they normally make a short, low flight into nearby cover.
How can a male Painted Bush Quail be identified?
The male has a dark, strongly patterned body, chestnut or reddish underparts, a white throat and contrasting black and white head markings. The bill and legs are deep red.
Is the Painted Bush Quail threatened?
It is currently classified as Least Concern globally. Nevertheless, habitat loss, degradation of ground cover and local hunting or trapping may affect populations, and better monitoring is needed to determine long-term trends.
References
- BirdLife International. n.d. “Painted Bush-quail Perdicula erythrorhyncha Species Factsheet.” BirdLife Data Zone. Accessed 8 September 2026. https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/painted-bush-quail-perdicula-erythrorhyncha
- Gill, F., D. Donsker and P. Rasmussen, eds. 2026. IOC World Bird List, version 15.2. International Ornithologists’ Union. Accessed 8 September 2026. https://www.worldbirdnames.org/
- State of India’s Birds. 2026. “Painted Bush Quail Perdicula erythrorhyncha.” State of India’s Birds species factsheet. Accessed 8 September 2026. https://stateofindiasbirds.in/species/cpl-pabqua1/
- Ali, S. 1949. Indian Hill Birds. Bombay Natural History Society and Oxford University Press.
- Hume, A. O. and C. H. T. Marshall. 1880–1881. The Game Birds of India, Burmah, and Ceylon. Calcutta: A. O. Hume and C. H. T. Marshall.
- Zacharias, V. J. and K. P. Varghese. 1999. “Recent distribution of endemic, disjunct and globally uncommon birds in the forests of Kerala State, southwest India.” Bird Conservation International 9: 191–225. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270900003415
- Gill, F., D. Donsker and P. Rasmussen, eds. 2022. IOC World Bird List, version 12.1. International Ornithologists’ Union. https://doi.org/10.14344/IOC.ML.12.1
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