Himalayan Quail

A mysterious bird

The Himalayan quail is one of the mysteries of avian fauna. It was last conclusively sighted in 1876, and all subsequent search expeditions have been unsuccessful. However, many scientists believe that it may still survive to this day. The IUCN also lists the bird, belonging to the family Phasianidae, as “Critically Endangered.” Due to its elusive nature and some reported sightings around the small Indian town of Nainital in 2003, the World Conservation Union believes that a very small population may still exist.

The Himalayan or mountain quail, a monotypic species, is known only from two locations at altitudes ranging from 1,540 to 1,840 meters and through twelve collected individuals. All these specimens come from the western Himalayan region in the Indian state of Uttarakhand in northwestern India, specifically from the areas around the towns of Mussoorie and Nainital, which are about 180 kilometers apart. Both locations are situated in the “Lesser Himalayas,” a region of the Himalayan mountain range that lies between the lower Shiwalik Hills and the higher, snow-covered peaks of the “Greater Himalayas.” This area is characterized by its moderate elevations and temperate climatic conditions.

The last confirmed sighting of a Himalayan quail dates back to 1876, when a single bird was shot and another observed on the eastern slopes of the Sher ka Danda mountain in the Himalayas, near Nainital. William Robert Ogilvie-Grant, a Scottish ornithologist, wrote in 1896 in A Handbook to the Game-Birds:

“This is still one of the least known of all the Indian Game-Birds, the total number of specimens recorded amounting to less than a dozen ; and, so far as I am aware, no additional specimens have been obtained since the one shot by Major Carwithen near Naini Tal in 1876.”

A handbook to the game-birds. 1896, S. 213-214. W. R. Ogilvie-Grant.

The British zoologist John Edward Gray described the Himalayan quail in 1846 based on living specimens from the collection of the then Earl of Derby at Knowsley Hall, England. He listed “India” as the location but was uncertain. It wasn’t until 1865 that Himalayan quails were first sighted in the wild: a certain Kenneth Mackinnon encountered a pair in November at an altitude of 1,800 meters near Mussoorie. In 1867 and 1868, additional birds were shot in roughly the same area. It was then confirmed that this quail species is endemic to India.

Himalaya quail – Fact sheet

Alternative name	Mountain quail, Himalayan mountain quail, Indian mountain quail, eyebrowed quail, eyebrowed rollulus, slate-coloured partridge, mountain pheasant-quail, pheasant-quail
Scientific name	Ophrysia superciliosa, Malacortyx superciliaris, Malacortyx superciliosa, Rollulus superciliosus, Ortiga superciliosa
Original range	Himalayan Range (Northwest India)
Last sighting	likely 1876
Causes of extinction	unclear, likely habitat loss and hunting
IUCN status	critically endangered (very small and restricted population)

Himalayan quail: Migratory bird or short-distance migrant?

Due to the few collected and sighted Himalayan quails and the short period until the last sighting, it is not surprising that little is known about the lifestyle of this species. Most of the information about this bird comes from the records of Captain J. Hutton. His observations were documented in The Game Birds of India, Burmah and Ceylon (1879-1881) by the ornithologists Allan O. Hume and Charles H. T. Marshall.

As an eyewitness, Hutton reported that the Himalayan quail was particularly shy, usually staying in dense undergrowth or on steep slopes. It preferred dense and tall grass and was reluctant to fly, making it difficult to detect and observe. According to Hutton, the birds could only be flushed and made to fly if one almost stepped on them or if they were startled by a dog. During their slow, low, and clumsy flight, they emitted a shrill whistle and would drop back into the grass at the nearest opportunity.

The English zoologist William Thomas Blanford noted in 1898 in Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma the long and soft feathers of the Himalayan quail, indicating that the birds were actually inhabitants of colder climatic regions. For this reason, it could not be ruled out that the quails were only occasional visitors to the northwest Himalayas. Allan O. Hume also assumed that the species migrated northward and to higher altitudes to the higher mountains in the spring or summer months.

The English ornithologist Frank Finn also speculated in his book The Game Birds of India and Asia (1911) that the Himalayan quail migrated northward to the higher mountain regions during the summer months. He believed that it was a migratory bird. However, the shape and size of its wings suggest that this species was barely capable of long-distance flights. Some evidence indicates that the Himalayan quail is a short-distance migrant, moving between its breeding areas in the summer and separate wintering grounds. This means it bred in a contiguous area and then migrated to various, more distant areas in the winter.

Zoologists Ingo Rieger and Doris Walzthöny made more detailed considerations regarding the wings of the Himalayan quail in Searching for Mountain Quails (1993). They also noted that the wings are relatively small, making up only about 35 percent of the total body length, which is significantly less than in other quail species. For example, the wings of common quails (Coturnix coturnix) account for 60 to 65 percent of their total body length. Due to this small wing size, and consistent with earlier observations, they assumed that Himalayan quails are poor fliers.

Based on existing museum specimens, the species can be well described: The Himalayan quail could reach a body length of 25 centimeters, with females being slightly smaller. Males and females also differed in plumage color. Adult males were generally darker and had a white forehead and a white supercilium. The Himalayan quails were distinct from other quails with their red legs and red beak. The short feet and beak are strong. The white spots in front of and behind the eyes of the male birds also make this quail species unique.

Is the Himalayan quail not extinct after all?

Since Himalayan quails were so adept at hiding and rarely allowed themselves to be flushed, it is quite conceivable that they could have remained undetected for more than a hundred years in the vast and remote mountainous region of northwestern India.

Records of the Himalayan quail are sparse: The last specimens were sighted in 1876, and since then, there have been no confirmed records. A study from 2010 estimates that the Himalayan quail may have gone extinct in the late 1890s, only about 20 years after the last sightings.

However, there are some unconfirmed sightings that raise hope for a small surviving population. For instance, Himalayan quails were possibly sighted in 1984 in Suwakholi and in 2003 in Nainital. Additionally, in 2010, a hunter reportedly saw a female Himalayan quail, as reported by the IUCN. These sightings describe game birds that resemble Himalayan quails, suggesting that a small remnant population might exist in remote regions of the lower or middle Himalayas.

Scientists, including Jonathan C. Dunn from Newcastle University, investigated potential habitats where the Himalayan quail might still exist in a study published in 2015. They found that the historical locations where the birds were found likely no longer reflect their current habitat preferences due to extensive changes in those areas. Therefore, expeditions to search for the lost species need to be focused on the most suitable areas.

By using two similar species with similar habitat requirements, the cheer pheasant (Catreus wallichii) and the Himalayan monal (Lophophorus impejanus), as proxies and creating models for climate, topography, and land cover, Dunn and his team were able to identify potential habitats for the Himalayan quail. They determined that 923 km² around Mussoorie in northern India were suitable areas for further surveys and created a list of priority expedition targets. The results also suggest that the former locations of Mussoorie and Nainital might no longer be suitable habitats for the Himalayan quail today. Now, all that remains is for someone to go search for them…

Explanations for the distribution and disappearance of Himalayan quails

Rieger and Walzthöny, in their study (1993), posed the question of why Himalayan quails were only shot at two locations that are 180 kilometers apart. They believe that answering this question is crucial for the rediscovery of the quails. The scientists developed two models to explain how the Himalayan quails reached this separate geographical distribution:

Model 1 – Retreat from humans

This model is based on the assumption that Himalayan quails, as “culture-shy” birds, are sensitive to human activities and avoid them. Additionally, they are poor fliers. As the human population in the Lesser Himalayas increased, the birds retreated to higher, less frequented areas. Consequently, their habitats were restricted to a few high peaks, significantly limiting their living space.

Model 2 – Shifting of vegetation belts

During the Pleistocene, the vegetation belts changed due to the retreat of glaciers. Himalayan quails followed these vegetation belts to higher altitudes as temperatures rose and glaciers receded. As a result, their originally large distribution area was divided into several smaller, isolated areas. The quails may have been displaced from their habitats in lower altitudes to suboptimal higher areas due to habitat changes, leading to local extinctions in some regions.

Both models indicate that Himalayan quails were driven to higher, remote areas due to external influences. Therefore, future rediscovery efforts should focus on higher, less accessible regions to find possible remaining populations of the lost bird. Errol Fuller supports these findings in Extinct Birds (2000), noting that all known sightings of the bird occurred in the western Himalayan region within a relatively short period of 30 years. It is possible that the Himalayan quails previously lived in an even more remote location but dispersed into better-surveyed areas due to an unknown event, leading to their initial discovery.

Hunting and habitat loss as possible causes of extinction

The exact reasons for the extinction of the Himalayan quail are unknown. Some authors speculate that environmental changes led to the species’ eradication, while others consider hunting and habitat loss as the main causes.

The last recorded sighting of the species, approximately 60 years before India’s independence from British colonial rule in 1947, suggests that intensive hunting during the colonial period may have contributed to their decline. At that time, hunting, especially by British colonialists and their followers, was a common leisure activity and sport.

However, Dieter Luther wrote in Die ausgestorbenen Vögel der Welt (1986) that “the species was not subjected to greater persecution as game birds than other birds living there” and that “human actions as a possible cause should be ruled out.” Similarly, the contemporary Mackinnon reported that hunting a Himalayan quail “involved an immense deal of bother in shooting (and proved, I may add, poor eating)”.

Unlike the 19th or early 20th century, the areas around Mussoorie and Nainital today have a high and increasing population density. This typically leads to deforestation, changes in land use, and increased pollution. The destruction of natural habitats in favor of agriculture has certainly contributed to the species’ disappearance. Overgrazing by livestock has significantly impacted grassy slopes today. Additionally, limestone mining and associated disturbances could have been factors in the species’ decline.

The story of the Himalayan quail is reminiscent of that of the pink-headed duck, last recorded in 1949. Both species inhabited remote, hard-to-access areas in South Asia and may have been severely decimated by intensive hunting and the loss of their natural habitat. Despite decades without confirmed sightings, there are ongoing efforts to rediscover both species through targeted expeditions and modern monitoring techniques.