The Common Quail nests on the ground in cornfields, leys and other tall grassland. The nest is a simple, grass-lined hollow, well hidden in the vegetation. The female lays a relatively large clutch of about 7–12 eggs, which she incubates alone for around three weeks. The chicks are nest-leavers that leave the nest almost immediately after hatching and search for food themselves under the hen's guidance. They become able to fly after barely three weeks.