DeWetsWild conducted a two-week tour of the Kruger National Park with altogether nine people to see out 2025 and ring in 2026 and every day for the month of February I’ll be sharing just a few of the many memories our group collected.
The exceptionally wet weather in the Kruger National Park this summer is behind an immense influx of Harlequin Quails into the Park. While sightings of the tiny birds were limited to fleeting glimpses when they ventured into the road from the long grass their distinctive calls could be heard literally everywhere we drove!
Coturnix delegorguei
The Harlequin Quail is an intra-African migrant bird, arriving in our part of the continent in response to good rains. During such periods they may be found in the savanna habitats stretching from northern Kwazulu-Natal to the North West Province. They also occur through most of the woodland and savanna regions of sub-Saharan Africa, parts of the Arabian peninsula and on Madagascar. According to the IUCN the Harlequin Quail is of least concern. Harlequin Quails feed on seeds, green shoots and a wide variety of small insects.
Outside of the breeding season Harlequin Quails may be seen foraging in groups of up to 20 individuals. They nest in hollows scratched in the ground, usually hidden among grass tussocks, soon after the rains start. The female incubates the clutch of up to 8 eggs for a little less than 3 weeks. The precocial chicks grow exceptionally quickly and can even fly short distances by the time they’re only 5 days old!
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If you’d like to join me on a guided tour of South Africa’s wild places, of even if you’d just like a bit of help putting your reservations together, don’t hesitate to reach out!
DeWetsWild 