BirdUp · Species
Black-breasted Buttonquail
Turnix melanogaster(Gould, 1837)
- Order
- CHARADRIIFORMES
- Family
- Turnicidae
- Genus
- Turnix
- Conservation
- Vulnerable
- Commonness
- Rare
- Best seen
- Year-round
01 · Identification
How to tell it apart
The black-breasted buttonquail is a rare buttonquail endemic to eastern Australia. As with other buttonquails, it is unrelated to the true quails. The black-breasted buttonquail is a plump quail-shaped bird 17–19 cm (6.7–7.5 in) in length with predominantly marbled black, rufous, and pale brown plumage, marked prominently with white spots and stripes, and white eyes. Like other buttonquails, the female is larger and more boldly coloured than the male, with a distinctive black head and neck sprinkled with fine white markings. The usual sex roles are reversed, as the female mates with multiple male partners and leaves them to incubate the eggs.
Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
02 · Where
Where to find it
- Breeding range
- South-east QLD and north-east NSW (east-central Australia)
03 · When
When to look
Months this species is recorded across its Australian range.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
05 · Behaviour
Habits and haunts
06 · Gallery
Plumage up close
6 photos
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