Entry 36: When a Quail Passes Through - Quandu Passa a Quagghia
- Basilia Staltari
- Apr 11
- 3 min read
Location: Calabria, Italy
Date: 1930’s to late 1950’s
As described in the previous entry, Salvatore was out hunting for quail on the day his wife Concetta gave birth to their daughter Giuseppina. Although wild quails weren't particularly meaty, they were still a popular source of food for his family. These tasty morsels supplemented their basic diet of vegetables, pasta and bread, adding a bit of extra variety and flavour to meals. So when the cycle of nature presented Salvatore with an opportunity to hunt, he did so, with the purpose to provide food for his household.
A Calabrese proverb that was often heard, frequently repeated, and permanently memorized by family elders encouraged swift action to be taken: ‘Quandu passa a quagghia ndai ma spari. Poi no passa cchiu.’
This translates to: When a quail passes through, you need to shoot it. Once they leave, they’re not coming back.
The quail season occurred only twice a year, based on the migration of the flock as they travelled to and from their breeding grounds in Africa and Europe. Their route took them over southern Italy, where the quails stopped throughout numerous regions, including the ‘campagna’ of Siderno. Here, in the grasslands and crop fields, they fed on grains, seeds and insects. Salvatore was familiar with the migration patterns and aware that the quail were ‘visitors’ whose stay was temporary. Once they left the ‘campagna’ to continue their journey, the season ended with their departure – as the proverb wisely stated.
The first quails of the year arrived in spring - around the months of April or May, before continuing their journey northward to nest and lay eggs. In autumn, during the post breeding migration back to Africa, a more abundant flock stopped over in Siderno, marking the start of the second season. Feeding at ground level, the quails remained well camouflaged as they settled among the vegetation. This required Salvatore to send his dog into the fields to flush them out of hiding, giving him a visible target to aim for as they flew into the air. He caught enough quail to cater for a meal or two - with no electricity at home, any game from hunting needed to be processed and prepared for cooking on the same day.
Armed with his ‘tibbotti’, 12 gauge ammunition and his faithful dog by his side, quail hunting was a regular activity for Salvatore, until the inevitable happened - the flock eventually moved on to continue their southbound migration, escaping not only the local hunters, but also the European winter.
‘Poi a quagghia no passa cchiu.’
EXTRA INFORMATION 1
In the photograph, Concetta's niece, Iola Cataldo, is armed with a 'tibbotti' slung over her shoulder, 'a cartuccera' is belted around her waist loaded with 12 gauge ammunition, and she wears a scarf tied around her neck to add a touch of stylish fashion!
Obviously, her aim is very accurate! Notice the brave hand holding up a target on the right side of the photo!
EXTRA INFORMATION 2
Pronunciation Variations for “Double Barrel Shotgun”
The Calabrese dialect of my ancestors was essentially an oral language, which sometimes resulted in words being pronounced in slightly different ways. This is the case for the term used for a double barrel shotgun, where four variations have been identified! However, for communication purposes, it didn’t matter whether it was pronounced as ‘tibbotti’, ‘dibotti’, ‘tubbotti’ or ‘dubotti’. During a conversation, the meaning was understood regardless of which variation was used.
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