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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Turnicidae
  4. ›
  5. Turnix
  6. ›
  7. Little Buttonquail
Little Buttonquail
Photo · Cropped by User:Llywelyn2000

BirdUp · Species

Little Buttonquail

Turnix velox(Gould, 1841)

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Native
Order
CHARADRIIFORMES
Family
Turnicidae
Genus
Turnix

At a glance

The Little Buttonquail is a small bird, about 12–16 cm long, native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
12–16 cm
Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Very common
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Little Buttonquail look like?

The Little Buttonquail is a small bird, about 12–16 cm long and weighing 28–64 g.

The little buttonquail is a species of buttonquail, part of a small family of birds which resemble, but are unrelated to, the true quails. This species is resident in Australia, where it is one of the more common buttonquails.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
12–16 cm
Weight
28–64 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Little Buttonquail?

The Little Buttonquail is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Little Buttonquail eat?

The Little Buttonquail feeds on seeds and terrestrial invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or flocks or alone.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Little Buttonquail live in Australia?

The Little Buttonquail is native to Australia, recorded across 76 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingAustralia (except north, Tasmania)

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Resident
  • Vagrant
  • Breeding

8 regions recorded