Rain quails are small birds seen across India, about half the size of a grey partridge. They are typically 15 to 17 cm in length and 65 to 71 gm in weight. They are also called black breasted quails. The male birds have a peculiar black patch on their breast and a black and white pattern on their head.
Rain quails inhabit open grass lands and feed on grass, seeds, insects and other plant matter. The nest will be a shallow scrape on the ground in which the eggs are laid. This bird makes a call that is very different from the sounds made by other kinds of quails. This makes them a unique member of the family. Its call is regularly repeated in mornings and evenings.
Outside India, the rain quails are seen in Cambodia, Nepal, Pakistan, and Thailand.
They are so abundantly seen that they are nowhere near the threat of extinction.