Behavioural detection of hybrids in quail
Abstract
Many cases of introgressive hybridization were observed among birds, in particular following
the introduction of animals belonging to a taxon close to an indigenous species in the
environment. This seems to be the case for the European quail, Coturnix coturnix coturnix
whose populations are artificially put in contact with the Japanese quail C. c. japonica, mainly
further to illegal releases of breeding animals for hunting. We investigated the presence of
hybrids in France during the sexual phase using an ethological trait: the sexual crow. The
European quail utters two types of sexual crow while the Japanese quail utters only one type.
Hybrids can utter parental types of mating calls as intermediate structures of mating calls. In
the field, the mating call was studied from recordings carried out. Out of the 28 recorded
birds, 5 individuals presented differences compared to the crow awaited from the common
quail. This analysis could let suppose the presence of males, potentially hybrid and seeking to
reproduce, within the natural populations. Our study confirms that both quail taxa, very close
genetically, can hybridize in nature. This introgression is known as having morphological and
behavioral consequences, in particular with the loss of the migratory behavior. It confirms the
importance of the fight against the Japanese or hybrid quail releases in order to preserve the
genetic integrity of the European quail.