Coturnix pectoralis
Silhouette: Marie-Aimée ALLARD · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The stubble quail (Coturnix pectoralis), whose other common names include grey quail and pectoral quail, is a species of Old World quail native to Australia. The species is widespread in mainland Australia and is listed as least concern by the IUCN, and can be found throughout all states and territories of Australia except Tasmania. It is the only native upland game bird that can be legally hunted in Australia, though with strict game law restrictions.
The stubble quail is a member of the family Phasianidae. C. pectoralis has sometimes been considered conspecific with the extinct New Zealand quail, C. novaezealandiae. In this case, the latter species' name would have priority and the stubble quail would become Coturnix novaezelandiae pectoralis. Phylogenetic analysis of three separate mitochondrial control region sequences in 2009 showed a close phylogenetic relationship between the two birds and it was confirmed that they are separate species. Geographic isolation occurred between the Australian species and the New Zealand species when the Tasman Sea became too wide for the birds to fly the journey. This geographic isolation enabled genetic divergence to occur and two... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Hattah-Kulkyne National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melbourne | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Stubble Quail sighting in Great Otway National Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 172nd most-seen of the 175 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Stubble Quail in Great Otway National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 6 and 9 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Stubble Quail sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Stubble Quail sightings, Great Otway National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Wilsons Promontory National Park (Australia, under 5%) and Hattah-Kulkyne National Park (Australia, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Stubble Quail is recorded against all the birds logged in Great Otway National Park (10 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
