Understanding the conservation status of species is imperative to stem global declines. To better inform conservation, we summarize the global conservation status of New World (Family Odontophoridae) and Old World (Family Phasianidae) true quail species. We used data from the 2021 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species and IUCN list of threatened categories to conduct our research. We summarized information from the Red List relative to general habitat use, native geographic region, extent/quality of habitat, primary and secondary threats to the population, and reported population trends. We also conducted a literature review for species/genus/families of true quails across a 20-year (2000–2020) timescale to summarize available information. Native ranges for the 47 species of quail include 21 in South America, 14 in North America, nine in Asia, three in Australia, and two in Africa. The common quail (Coturnix coturnix) is migratory and occurs in Africa, Asia, and Europe. According to the 2021 IUCN assessment, 34 (72.3%) species were identified as Least Concern, one (2.1%; Manipur bush quail [Perdicula manipurensis]) was Endangered, and one (2.1%; New Zealand quail [Coturnix novaezelandiae]) is Extinct. Five species each (21.3% total) were recognized as Vulnerable or Near Threatened, and one (2.1%; Himalayan quail [Ophrysia superciliosa]) was Critically Endangered. The quality and quantity of habitats are declining for 11 (23.4%) true quail, with IUCN noting habitat quality and quantity as “unknown” for the remaining 36 (76.6%) species. Threats to most populations are unknown, but intensive agricultural and biological resource use affected half of true quail species. Coturnix and Cytonyx were the most extensively studied genera, composing 47.6–49.2% and 34.0–36.8% of studies within half decades from 2000–2020, respectively. Our review revealed the need for more attention to true quail from researchers and practitioners alike.
