THE BEHAVIOR OF THE JAPANESE OR DOMESTIC QUAIL COTURNIX JAPONICA

This paper reviews the literature pertaining to the behavior of the Ja panese or domestic quail Coturnix japonica. Details are given of the c lassification, characteristics, domestication and the economic and res earch potential of the species. Further sections deal with sensation a nd perception (including taste and smell, Vision and hearing), mainten ance behavior (including feeding and drinking, dust bathing and thermo regulation), development and aging (including vocalization, filial imp rinting, sexual imprinting, fear and avoidance responses, sexual matur ation and aging), adult learning (including habituation, instrumental conditioning, Pavlovian conditioning and observational learning), phot operiodism, reproductive behavior (including courtship and mating, hor monal control and ontogeny of sexual differentiation, and male and fem ale sexual behavior), parental behavior (including nest-sire selection and nest building, incubation behavior and its hormonal control, and hen-chick relationships), and aggressive behavior and dominance (inclu ding agonistic behavior and the hormonal control of aggressive behavio r). (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.