Black-breasted Buttonquail
Encyclopedia
The Black-breasted Buttonquail (Turnix melanogaster) is a rare buttonquail
endemic to eastern Australia
, where it is usually found in rainforest. Like other buttonquails, it is unrelated to the true quail
s. Both sexes have marbled black, rufous, pale brown and white plumage, but the female is larger than the male and has a more extensive black face and chin.
in 1837. Its specific epithet is derived from the Ancient Greek
terms melano- "black", and gaster "belly".
Along with other buttonquails, the Black-breasted Buttonquail was traditionally placed in the order Gruiformes
, but more recent molecular analysis shows it belongs to an ancient lineage of shorebirds (Charadriiformes
).
The female makes a low-pitched oom call.
in central Queensland south to the northeastern corner of New South Wales. It is rare and its habitat fragmented. It is found in rainforest and nearby areas, as well as Hoop Pine (Araucaria cunninghamii
) plantations, and lantana thickets. It is found in Palmgrove National Park
, which has consequently been identified by BirdLife International
as an Important Bird Area
for the species.
partners and leaves them to incubate
the eggs. One or two broods are probably laid each year; the nest is a shallow depression scraped out of the leaf litter and ground, lined with dried vegetation. Three or four shiny grey-white or buff eggs splotched with dark brown-black and lavender are laid measuring 28 mm x 23 mm.
Buttonquail
Buttonquail or hemipodes are members of a small family of birds, Turnicidae, which resemble, but are unrelated to, the quails of Phasianidae. They inhabit warm grasslands in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Australia...
endemic to eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where it is usually found in rainforest. Like other buttonquails, it is unrelated to the true quail
Quail
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae...
s. Both sexes have marbled black, rufous, pale brown and white plumage, but the female is larger than the male and has a more extensive black face and chin.
Taxonomy
The Black-breasted Buttonquail was originally described by ornithologist John GouldJohn Gould
John Gould was an English ornithologist and bird artist. The Gould League in Australia was named after him. His identification of the birds now nicknamed "Darwin's finches" played a role in the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection...
in 1837. Its specific epithet is derived from the Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
terms melano- "black", and gaster "belly".
Along with other buttonquails, the Black-breasted Buttonquail was traditionally placed in the order Gruiformes
Gruiformes
The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like"....
, but more recent molecular analysis shows it belongs to an ancient lineage of shorebirds (Charadriiformes
Charadriiformes
Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...
).
Description
The Black-breasted Buttonquail is a plump quail-shaped bird of predominantly marbled black, rufous and pale brown, marked prominently with white spots and stripes, and white eyes. Like other buttonquails, the female is larger and more distinctively coloured than the male. Measuring up to 20 cm (8 in), it has a black face and chin, sprinkled with fine white markings. The smaller male measures up to 19 cm (7.5 in) and lacks the black markings.The female makes a low-pitched oom call.
Distribution and habitat
The Black-breasted Buttonquail is found from Hervey BayHervey Bay, Queensland
Hervey Bay is a city in Queensland, Australia. The city is situated approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane, and lies on the coast of a natural bay between the Queensland mainland and nearby Fraser Island. The local economy relies on tourism, for which whale watching, Fraser Island and...
in central Queensland south to the northeastern corner of New South Wales. It is rare and its habitat fragmented. It is found in rainforest and nearby areas, as well as Hoop Pine (Araucaria cunninghamii
Araucaria cunninghamii
Araucaria cunninghamii is a species of Araucaria known as Moreton Bay Pine, or Hoop Pine. Other less commonly used names include Colonial Pine, Richmond River Pine, Queensland Pine, Alloa, Ningwik, or Pien, the wood is sometimes called Arakaria)...
) plantations, and lantana thickets. It is found in Palmgrove National Park
Palmgrove National Park
Palmgrove is a national park in south-central Queensland, Australia. It lies about 185 km north-north-east of Roma and 458 km north-west of Brisbane. It is listed as a National Park under the Nature Conservation Act 1992, so giving it the highest level of protection possible under the...
, which has consequently been identified by BirdLife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
as an Important Bird Area
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird Area is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Currently there are about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International...
for the species.
Conservation status
The species is currently classified as vulnerable; most of the Black-breasted Buttonquail's original habitat has been cleared and the remaining populations are fragmented. The population has been estimated at 5000 breeding birds and declining.Breeding
The usual sex roles are reversed in the buttonquail genus, as the larger and more brightly coloured female mates with multiple malePolyandry
Polyandry refers to a form of marriage in which a woman has two or more husbands at the same time. The form of polyandry in which a woman is married to two or more brothers is known as "fraternal polyandry", and it is believed by many anthropologists to be the most frequently encountered...
partners and leaves them to incubate
Avian incubation
Incubation refers to the process by which certain oviparous animals hatch their eggs, and to the development of the embryo within the egg. The most vital factor of incubation is the constant temperature required for its development over a specific period. Especially in domestic fowl, the act of...
the eggs. One or two broods are probably laid each year; the nest is a shallow depression scraped out of the leaf litter and ground, lined with dried vegetation. Three or four shiny grey-white or buff eggs splotched with dark brown-black and lavender are laid measuring 28 mm x 23 mm.