Buff-breasted Button-quail

The buff-breasted buttonquail (''Turnix olivii'') is the largest and possibly the rarest of the buttonquail. This species is endemic to Cape York Peninsula, in Queensland, Australia.

Description

The buff-breasted buttonquail measures from and usually weighs over . Both the tail and wings are short. The back is chestnut. The sides of the head are marked with chestnut on an otherwise plain gray head; while the breast is warm buff-colored. The painted buttonquail and the brown quail both coexist with this species. The buff-breasted is larger (and longer-legged) than either and is quite different from the all-dark quail. The painted species is almost totally mottled, with bold white spotting on the breast and no warm buff coloration. The most similar species to the buff-breasted is the chestnut-backed buttonquail, which does not overlap in the wild.

The advertising (or booming) call made by the female is ', repeated up to 20 times. The notes are almost inaudible initially, then become gradually louder, higher-pitched and shorter until they are far-carrying. The males will respond with a deep, rapid ' whistle. Other calls, perhaps in reaction to danger, include ', a soft ' and a loud '.

Distribution and habitat

These birds favor lowland, subcoastal grasslands or woodlands. They may be found at any elevation to . Reports describe this species as dependent on grassy woods made up of ''Melaleuca'', ''Acacia'', ''Alphitonia'' and '' Tristania''. They have been seen in area of heavy scrub ground cover, up to high in some cases, but can also be seen in rocky areas where almost no scrub cover is present.

Important Bird Areas

Sites identified by BirdLife International as being important for buff-breasted buttonquail conservation are the Iron and McIlwraith Ranges, and the Morehead River of Far North Queensland.

Conservation status

The buff-breasted buttonquail is an endangered species, with a population estimated at 500 individuals and an historical range of . They have been extirpated from large portions of their original range, probably due in part due to cattle overgrazing, sites made unsuitable by fire regimes and general habitat clearances to make way for human habitation.

A series of targeted surveys for this species from 2018-2022 failed to find any individuals despite locating four other species of buttonquail within the region, suggesting that some reports of buff-breasted buttonquail since the 1920s may be misidentifications of related taxa.

''T. olivii'' has been listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List and the Australian EPBC Act.

Behaviour

Very few people see the buff-breasted buttonquail due to its tiny range and inconspicuous disposition. The buttonquail usually walk or run in areas where they are well camouflaged, almost never leaving the ground except when absolutely necessary. They are usually sedentary, but local movements have been recorded, probably in response to seasonal habitat changes.

Diet

Details of their diet are little known, but (like most buttonquail) they probably eat insects and seeds, with sand used as a digestion aid.

Breeding

These birds are known to be solitary breeders. The breeding season is January through March. The nest is a shallow depression with a dome of grasses and a side entrance, which itself is lined with grasses and leaves. Usually the nest site is well obscured behind grasses, low scrubs or tussock. Two to four round eggs (usually 3) are laid. The eggs are whitish and speckled with chestnut, bluish-gray or black. The incubation period is unknown, but the male is thought to assume all incubation and chick-care activities. The young are precocial and nidifugous.

References

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External links

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{{Taxonbar, from=Q1270828

buff-breasted buttonquail
Birds of Cape York Peninsula
Endemic birds of Queensland
Critically endangered fauna of Australia
buff-breasted buttonquail
Taxa named by Herbert C. Robinson