Painted Buttonquail
Turnix varius
Intricately plumaged buttonquail with dark red eye, found in dry woodlands where it feeds by making circular scrapes among deep leaf litter. Pale spots and streaks on chest, belly, wings, and flanks. In flight, note contrast between more reddish back and grayish-toned rump. Pale eyebrow, less well defined than Stubble Quail. Call is a relentless soft repeated “boom” and also makes a fast sputtering "bub-bub-bub-bub" call.
Identification
The painted buttonquail is about 19 to 20 cm (7.5 to 7.9 in) long. It is a ground-dwelling bird and is found in grassy forests and woodlands. It feeds on insects and seeds, and the males incubate the eggs for a fortnight and then care for the young.<p>The female is the more brightly coloured of the sexes. Her eyes are red, and her crown, face and breast are flecked with white. Her shoulders are chestnut with thin white streaking above them. The male is slightly smaller and duller in colour.
Taxonomy
The painted buttonquail was first described by the English ornithologist John Latham in 1801 under the binomial name Perdix varia. <p>"Painted buttonquail" has been designated the official name by the International Ornithologists' Union (IOC).<p>Two subspecies are recognised.<p>The possibly-extinct New Caledonian buttonquail (Turnix novaecaledoniae) of New Caledonia was formerly considered conspecific, but was split as a distinct species by the IOC in 2021.
- Scientific name
- Turnix varius
- Authority
- (Latham, 1801)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Turnicidae
- Genus
- Turnix
Range and habitat
The painted buttonquail is native to Australia. Its range extends from Queensland southwards to New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. A separate population is present in the southwestern part of Western Australia. The subspecies Turnix varius scintillans is endemic to the Houtman Abrolhos islands off the west coast of Australia. <p>The painted buttonquail became established on Rottnest Island around 2002.
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Ground Parrot
Pezoporus wallicus
Shy, predominantly ground-dwelling, long-tailed parrot of dense coastal heath. Primarily green, with yellow-green underparts and extensive black barring throughout. Extremely shy; usually only seen flying away when disturbed. Adult has tiny red band above bill and pale eye. Call is the most reliable way to locate this species, which tends to call mostly at dawn and dusk: a high whistle that ascends in pitch.
Arabian Grosbeak
Rhynchostruthus percivali
Handsome chunky gray-brown finch with a massive dark bill. Brown hood, white ear-patches, and brightly contrasting golden stripes in the dark wings and tail make this an easily recognizable species. Female has a less well-defined hood than the male, and less yellow in the tail. Juvenile is buffier (including ear-patches) and more streaky. An uncommon resident of woodland, dry scrubby rocky terrain, slopes and river beds, restricted to the southern Arabian Peninsula. Typically forages singly, in pairs, or in groups of up to 30, either on the ground, or in trees where they occasionally dangle by their feet like parrots. Song is a pleasant rolling series of sweet notes, with an almost thrush-like quality. Call a quick whip-like “weet.”
Rüppell's Parrot
Poicephalus rueppellii
Chunky mid-sized parrot that is mostly gray with blue underparts. Note the yellow shoulder patches and blue rump, which are conspicuous in flight. Found in arid savanna, especially in the lusher woodland along riverbeds. Usually in pairs or small flocks. Calls are variable high-pitched squeals. Similar to Meyer’s Parrot, but has blue underparts and a gray base color, and never shows yellow on the head.
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