Two studies were performed to explore the ability of male Japanese qua
il to discriminate between individual females, and between individual
males within a context related to reproduction. Male quail were found
to spend more time in front of and looking through a window providing
visual access to a female with which they were repeatedly allowed to c
opulate, compared to a female with which they had never been allowed t
o copulate. In contrast, when males were allowed to freely interact wi
th both females, no differences were observed in consummatory measures
of sexual behavior. With respect to a male's ability to discriminate
between individual males, during repeated pairings between the same ma
les, dominant males displayed an elevation in cloacal contact movement
s (CCM) compared to their subordinate partners. The difference in CCM
between members of each pair developed over several days suggesting th
at the males were learning to recognize and respond to one another acc
ording to a dominance relationship. During subsequent separate pairing
s with both familiar (i.e. the birds previously used during the repeat
ed pairings) and novel individuals, both subordinates and dominants we
re found to crouch more often, in the presence of novel birds. Subordi
nate males were also found to peck more often at a glass partition sep
arating them from a novel dominant compared to a familiar dominant. Ma
le quail thus appear capable of discriminating between individual fema
les and individual males as indicated by behavioral measures relevant
to reproduction.