Buttonquail
Encyclopedia
Buttonquail or hemipodes are members of a small family of bird
s, Turnicidae, which resemble, but are unrelated to, the quail
s of Phasianidae
. They inhabit warm grasslands in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Australia. There are 16 species in two genera, with most species being found in the genus Turnix and only one being found in the genus Ortyxelos.
Buttonquails are small, drab, running birds, which avoid flying. The female is the more brightly coloured of the sexes, and initiates courtship. Unusually, the buttonquails are polyandrous
, with the females circulating among several males and expelling rival females from her territory. Both sexes cooperate in building a nest in the earth, but only the male incubates
the eggs and tends the young. The eggs hatch after an incubation period of 12 or 13 days, and the young are able to fly within two weeks of hatching.
or Galliformes
(the crane and pheasant orders). The Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy
elevated them to ordinal status as the Turniciformes and basal
to other Neoaves either because their accelerated rate of molecular evolution exceeded the limits of sensitivity of DNA-DNA hybridization or because the authors did not perform the appropriate pairwise comparisons or both. Morphological, DNA-DNA hybridization and sequence
data indicate that turnicids correctly belong to the shorebirds (Charadriiformes
). They seem to be an ancient group among these, as indicated by the buttonquail-like Early Oligocene fossil
Turnipax and the collected molecular data.
, but differ from them in lacking a hind toe and a crop
. The females of this family also possess a unique vocal organ created by an enlarged trachea and inflatable bulb in the oesophagus, which they use to produce a booming call.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s, Turnicidae, which resemble, but are unrelated to, the quail
Coturnix
Coturnix is a genus of Old World quail in Phasianidae.- Species list :*Blue Quail, Coturnix adansonii*King Quail, Coturnix chinensis*Rain Quail, Coturnix coromandelica*Harlequin Quail, Coturnix delegorguei*Common Quail, Coturnix coturnix...
s of Phasianidae
Phasianidae
The Phasianidae is a family of birds which consists of the pheasants and partridges, including the junglefowl , Old World Quail, francolins, monals and peafowl. The family is a large one, and is occasionally broken up into two subfamilies, the Phasianinae, and the Perdicinae...
. They inhabit warm grasslands in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Australia. There are 16 species in two genera, with most species being found in the genus Turnix and only one being found in the genus Ortyxelos.
Buttonquails are small, drab, running birds, which avoid flying. The female is the more brightly coloured of the sexes, and initiates courtship. Unusually, the buttonquails are polyandrous
Polyandry
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...
, with the females circulating among several males and expelling rival females from her territory. Both sexes cooperate in building a nest in the earth, but only the male incubates
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 and tends the young. The eggs hatch after an incubation period of 12 or 13 days, and the young are able to fly within two weeks of hatching.
Taxonomy
Buttonquail were traditionally placed in GruiformesGruiformes
The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like"....
or Galliformes
Galliformes
Galliformes are an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding domestic or game bird, containing turkey, grouse, chicken, New and Old World Quail, ptarmigan, partridge, pheasant, and the Cracidae. Common names are gamefowl or gamebirds, landfowl, gallinaceous birds or galliforms...
(the crane and pheasant orders). The Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy
Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy
The Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy is a bird taxonomy proposed by Charles Sibley and Jon Edward Ahlquist. It is based on DNA-DNA hybridization studies conducted in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s....
elevated them to ordinal status as the Turniciformes and basal
Basal (phylogenetics)
In phylogenetics, a basal clade is the earliest clade to branch in a larger clade; it appears at the base of a cladogram.A basal group forms an outgroup to the rest of the clade, such as in the following example:...
to other Neoaves either because their accelerated rate of molecular evolution exceeded the limits of sensitivity of DNA-DNA hybridization or because the authors did not perform the appropriate pairwise comparisons or both. Morphological, DNA-DNA hybridization and sequence
DNA sequence
The sequence or primary structure of a nucleic acid is the composition of atoms that make up the nucleic acid and the chemical bonds that bond those atoms. Because nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are unbranched polymers, this specification is equivalent to specifying the sequence of...
data indicate that turnicids correctly belong to the 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...
). They seem to be an ancient group among these, as indicated by the buttonquail-like Early Oligocene fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
Turnipax and the collected molecular data.
Description
The buttonquails are a group of small terrestrial birds. The smallest species is the Quail-plover, the only species in the genus Ortyxelos, which is 10 cm (3.9 in) in length and weighs only 20 g (0.705479242102239 oz). The buttonquails in the genus Turnix range from 12 to 23 cm (4.7 to 9.1 in) in length and weigh between 30 to 130 g (1.1 to 4.6 oz). They superficially resemble the true quails of the genus CoturnixCoturnix
Coturnix is a genus of Old World quail in Phasianidae.- Species list :*Blue Quail, Coturnix adansonii*King Quail, Coturnix chinensis*Rain Quail, Coturnix coromandelica*Harlequin Quail, Coturnix delegorguei*Common Quail, Coturnix coturnix...
, but differ from them in lacking a hind toe and a crop
Crop (anatomy)
A crop is a thin-walled expanded portion of the alimentary tract used for the storage of food prior to digestion that is found in many animals, including gastropods, earthworms, leeches, insects, birds, and even some dinosaurs.- Bees :Cropping is used by bees to temporarily store nectar of flowers...
. The females of this family also possess a unique vocal organ created by an enlarged trachea and inflatable bulb in the oesophagus, which they use to produce a booming call.
Species
Family: Turnicidae- Genus: Ortyxelos
- Quail-plover, Ortyxelos meiffrenii
- Genus: Turnix
- Small ButtonquailSmall ButtonquailThe Kurrichane Buttonquail, Small Buttonquail, Common Buttonquail, or Andalusian Hemipode, Turnix sylvaticus, is a buttonquail, one of a small family of birds which resemble, but are unrelated to, the true quails...
, Turnix sylvaticus- Tawitawi Small Buttonquail, Turnix sylvaticus suluensis (extinct: mid-20th century)
- Andalusian Hemipode, Turnix sylvaticus sylvaticus (possibly extinct: late 20th century?)
- Worcester's Buttonquail, Turnix worcesteri
- Sumba ButtonquailSumba ButtonquailThe Sumba Buttonquail is a species of bird in the Turnicidae family. The scientific name commemorates British colonial administrator and zoological collector Alfred Hart Everett.-Distribution and habitat:...
, Turnix everetti - Black-rumped ButtonquailBlack-rumped ButtonquailThe Black-rumped Buttonquail is a small species of bird in the buttonquail genus.It is found in open grassland through much of Africa outside the forested and more arid regions. It is resident in the central parts of the range but is a migratory breeder further north.This species has a brown...
, Turnix hottentottus - Yellow-legged ButtonquailYellow-legged ButtonquailThe Yellow-legged Buttonquail is a buttonquail, one of a small family of birds which resemble, but are unrelated to, the true quails. This family is peculiar in that the females are more colourful than the males and are polyandrous. Females have a bright rufous nape collar which is moulted during...
, Turnix tanki - Barred ButtonquailBarred ButtonquailThe Barred Buttonquail or Common Bustard-Quail is a buttonquail, one of a small family of birds which resemble, but are unrelated to, the true quails...
, Turnix suscitator - Madagascar ButtonquailMadagascar ButtonquailThe Madagascar Buttonquail is a species of bird in the buttonquail family Turnicidae.It is endemic to Madagascar.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 24 July 2007....
, Turnix nigricollis - Spotted ButtonquailSpotted ButtonquailThe Spotted Buttonquail is a species of bird in the Turnicidae family.It is endemic to the Philippines.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 24 July 2007....
, Turnix ocellatus - Black-breasted ButtonquailBlack-breasted ButtonquailThe Black-breasted Buttonquail is a rare buttonquail endemic to eastern Australia, where it is usually found in rainforest. Like other buttonquails, it is unrelated to the true quails...
, Turnix melanogaster - Painted ButtonquailPainted ButtonquailPainted Button quail, Turnix varius, is a species of button quail, the family Turnicidae, which resemble, but are unrelated to, the quails of Phasianidae. This species is resident in Australia....
, Turnix varius- New Caledonia (Painted) Buttonquail, Turnix (varius) novaecaledoniae (extinct: early 20th century)
- Chestnut-backed Buttonquail, Turnix castanotus
- Red-chested ButtonquailRed-chested ButtonquailThe Red-chested Buttonquail is a species of bird in the Turnicidae family.It is endemic to Australia.-Conservation status:...
, Turnix pyrrhothorax - Red-backed Buttonquail, Turnix maculosus
- Little Buttonquail, Turnix velox
- Buff-breasted ButtonquailBuff-breasted ButtonquailThe Buff-breasted Buttonquail is the largest and possibly the rarest of the buttonquail. This species is endemic to extreme northeastern Australia, in northern Queensland from near Coen to Mareeba west of Cairns.-Description:...
, Turnix olivei
- Small Buttonquail
External links
- Buttonquail videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- cyberquail