Little Button-quail
FAMILY: Phasianidae
GENUS: Turnix
SPECIES: velox
OTHER NAMES:Little Quail, Butterfly Quail, Swift-flying Quail,
Dotterel Quail.
Description:
The Little Button-quail
has its stronghold centred in the arid zone. It is highly nomadic and often
flies over long distances to find new sources of food. These forays take it far
afield and consequently move over much of the continent.
Because of the uncertain nature of resource bases in the arid zone, the Little
Button-quail's population tends to undergo boom and bust cycles. That is, its
abundance reflects resource availability and hence is present in large numbers
during favourable seasons and wanes to a small residual population during poor
seasons.
This bird's name belies
its size. It is similar in size and stature to the King Quail. It is not
particularly social, occurring mainly singularly or in small groups of around
five.
Females are the largest and most brightly coloured. They are easily
distinguished from other button-quail in that they are mostly cinnamon in
appearance. The crown is mrked with two dusky lines separated by an off white
line. Feathers on the upper surface are faintly barred with black and edged in
cream. The wings are grey, the face and throat cream and the belly and undertail
white. The bill is comparatively thikckened and greyish in colour. The legs and
feet are flesh coloured.
Males resemble females, but are generally more patterned and duller. In the
breeding season males are distinct from females in that the female has a deeper
cinnamon breast than the male.
Immatures resemble males but are more patterned overall. The breast is white
with dusky streaks which change to barring at abut 2 months of age.
Length: Male 130-140mm;
Female 140-150mm
Subspecies:
None.
Status:
In the wild:
In aviculture:uncommon
Threats:
Its terrestrial habits
also predicate it to being vulnerable to predation by introduced predators such
as cats and foxes. 
Distribution:
Throughout inland
Australia occaisionally reaching coastal areas.
Habitat:
Arid and semi-arid
grasslands.
Diet:
Seeds of grasses and
insects.
Breeding:
May occur at any time
(except cold periods) and co-incides with the onset of grass seeding. The nest
is a shallow depression located at the base of a grass tussock of shrub.
Usually surrounding stems are bent in an arrangement which forms a dome over
the nest. This dome often has a side entrance and is constructed by both sexes.
Sexual Maturity:
Has been reported to be
attained in as little as three months.
Courtship Display:
Is performed by the
female and simply consists of a moaning call uttered by the female within the
nesting territory - usually at night.
Clutch:
3 to 5 glossy off-white
eggs (18x23mm). Incubation period: 13-14 days carried out entirely by the male.
Mutations and Hybrids:
None.