The harlequin quail is a bird of the phasinade family. It lives in the undergrowth, in crops, in the savannah and on the banks of the river. The bird measures between 20 and 16 centimetres.

Entirely terrestrial, the harlequin quail is a species that migrates according to the rains. To feed, it pecks at the germs and claws of the buds that appear after the rain. The quail lives in groups or in pairs.

The Harlequin Quail exposes a brown coat on the side littered with black javelin. Its wings are bright brown in colour. The female has a light-coloured mantle with brown radish on the flank and a light-coloured macaroon plumage on the back.

In its natural habitat, the Harlequin Quail is a monogamous species. During the breeding season the male can fight with a beak and leaps in the air (Urban et al. 1986) on the approach of other suitors.

During rainy periods they can be seen moving in groups of up to 200 individuals. Because of this way of life, the species is subject to changes in its environment.