Proyecto Coturnix launches seventh season of quail scientific monitoring

Proyecto Coturnix, the largest scientific initiative for monitoring quail populations in Spain and Europe, has launched its seventh season. The project coincides with the start of the mid-season hunting period across various autonomous communities.

Driven by Mutuasport, with research led by Fundación Artemisan and supported by the Real Federación Española de Caza, the initiative utilizes data collected by thousands of hunters to expand scientific knowledge regarding the distribution and status of quail populations. To date, the project has gathered data from 12,634 hunting days, 65,407 biological wing samples, and 357 recoveries of ringed quail.

A key component of the research is the SEC method, developed by the University of Barcelona, which allows for more effective monitoring than traditional passive methods. This has already established 35 study zones across Spain, with plans to expand to 45 in the coming months. The season will also feature the second ‘Coturnix Challenge’ in August.