a bird from North America, often shot for sport = quail (From the sound it makes). North American quail species (Colinus virginianus) that exists in about 20 subspecies from southern Canada to Guatemala. It is reddish brown and has a gray tail. Its name is suggestive of its two-note call. A popular game bird of the southern and central U.S., it is found in brush, open pinelands, and abandoned fields