Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes.

The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey,[1] or bevy.

The species of buttonquail are named for their superficial resemblance to quail, and form the family Turnicidae in the order Charadriiformes.

Many of the common larger species are farm-raised for table food or egg consumption, and are hunted on game farms or in the wild, where they may be released to supplement the wild population, or extend into areas outside their natural range.

[3] Quail that have fed on hemlock (e.g., during migration) may induce acute kidney injury due to accumulation of toxic substances from the hemlock in the meat; this problem is referred to as "coturnism".