Wet My Lips
Reports
BirdGuides News
An exceptional number of Common Quail reports so far this spring
suggests that 2026 could be a 'quail year' in Britain. BirdGuides received 268
reports of the elusive gamebird during May 2026 (see map below) –
significantly higher than any previous May total since the sightings service
began collecting data in 2000.The recent heatwave on the continent is likely to
have been a factor in the arrival, encouraging continental birds to move north.
In fact, more than half of May's reports came in the final week of the month,
in close correlation with the hot weather.
Common Quail numbers have historically varied from year to year
in Britain. Occasionally a “quail year” is experienced when significantly
higher than average numbers appear. This could be one of them.
On Arran
Common Quail is an occasional summer visitor.
This year it was first reported calling early
morning on Friday 5th June from fields /suitable habitat in the south of the
island and it has been heard almost every day since then. The last Arran record
was 2023 with birds holding territory from 30 May to 26 June. There were also
records in 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2012. The last report before that was 1995.
The
Common Quail or European quail is a small ground-nesting game bird in the
pheasant family Phasianidae. It is mainly migratory, breeding in Europe and
wintering in Africa and southern India. With its characteristic call of three
repeated chirps, this species of quail is more often heard than seen.
Wet My Lips
"Wet-my-lips" is what the distinctive mating
call of the male sounds like. These small, secretive gamebirds typically hide
low in dense crops and tall grasses, and this melodic loud whistle, three-syllable
phrase that sounds exactly like "wet-my-lips", repeated over and over is often the
only way that you know Quail are nearby, The male quail will sing this on the
ground or even while flying, mostly during early mornings, evenings, and
sometimes throughout the night during breeding.
This year will be a great opportunity to hear
Quail. If you do, please let me know.
