Annales Musei historico-naturalis hungarici

Author(s): Keve, A., Zsák, Z. & Kaszab, Z.
Title: A fürj gazdasági jelentősége
Title: The agricultural significance of the Quail
Year: 1953
Publication date: 1953-12-31
Volume: 45 (series nova 4)
Pages: 197-209.

Abstract: Authors deal with the agricultural significance of the quail, based on their investigations done on large series of crop-contents. Examination of the vegetable food material show that the quail feeds principally on the seeds of agriculural weeds, rarely eating any green plants material. Our wheat cereals play an equally insignificant role in its feeding, as, in the majority of cases, grains in any quantity were found only in crops off specimens shot after harvest. Their staple animal food consists chiefly of insects. The consumption of insects is especially significant in the period, when weed seeds are rare on the fields. Among the insects eaten many agriculturally injurious species were found. The majority of insects were ground-dwelling species or of the grass stratum; they were chiefly beetles and dung bugs; flying or quicly moving insects (fly and Hymenoptera) play but a casual part in its diet. Authors arrive at the final conclusion that the quail is a valuable agricultural bird, to be protected by all means.
Subject: zoology

Journal: Annales historico-naturales Musei nationalis hungarici
Journal abbreviation: Annls hist.-nat. Mus. nat. hung.
ISSN: 0521-4726
Publisher: Tankönykiadó Vállalat, Budapest
Editor(s): Boros, I.