Very different from the female, the male Jungle Bush Quail has a white moustache, heavily barred white underparts, and variegated wings. The female has a uniform, rich chestnut breast and belly. However, both the male and the female have red and white streaks on the head.

The diet of the Jungle Bush Quail consists mainly of seeds. particularly of grasses, although it also takes insects. Breeding takes place after the rains and lasts until the onset of colder weather, with the precise period varying across the range; five or six eggs are produced and incubation takes between 16 and 18 days. The species is not globally threatened as it has an extensive range and tends to avoid agricultural areas. The population in Sri Lanka has contracted since the 1950s, but is thought to be widespread and common elsewhere in the range.

The Jungle Bush-Quail is largly sedentary, although the birds in Nepal are thought to migrate in winter.