The barred buttonquail (Turnix suscitator) belongs to the family Turnicidae. These buttonquail species are unrelated to true quails and are distributed in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indonesia, Southeast Asia and Philippines.
Taxonomy of Barred buttonquail
- Scientific Name: Turnix suscitator
- Common Name: Barred buttonquail
- French: Turnix combattant; German: Bindenlaufhühnchen; Spanish: Torillo batallador;
- Other names: common bustard-quail; Sansorai (Assam); Salui gundra (Hindi); Gulu (Bengal); Bala watuwa (Sri Lanka); Tetrao Suscitator J. F. Gmelin;
- Family: Turnicidae › Charadriiformes › Aves › Chordata › Animalia
- Species author: (Gmelin, 1789)
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| Indian birds - Barred buttonquail - Turnix suscitator |
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| Indian birds - Barred buttonquail - Turnix suscitator |
Description
The barred buttonquail is a small bird measuring 14 to 18 cm in length and weighing 35 to 50 grams. The female Turnix suscitator is larger and richly colored. The female may weigh up to 70 grams. The barred buttonquail is generally rufous-brown above, rusty and buff below. The blue-grey bill and legs, and yellowish white eyes are distinguishing characteristics. They make calls like drr-r-r-r-r-r and loud sounds like hoon- hoon-hoon.Habitat
The buttonquail inhabits grasslands, agricultural fields and savannas.Feeding habits
The buttonquail feeds on grass, green shoots, seeds, invertebrates, insects and worms.Breeding
The buttonquail species breeds throughout the year with slight variation among the subspecies. The nest is a scraped depression on the ground in the scrub jungle or among crop fields. The cluster usually consists of 3-4 eggs.Distribution
The buttonquail species are distributed in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indonesia, Southeast Asia and Philippines.Movement Patterns
The barred buttonquail are mostly resident birds.Status and conservation
The barred buttonquail global population size has not been quantified, but is considered to be increasing. Perhaps, land degradation is creating suitable habitats for these buttonquail species.The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated these buttonquail species and has listed them as of "Least Concern".
| Biological classification of Turnix suscitator | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Turnicidae |
| Subfamily: | - |
| Genus: | Turnix |
| Species: | T. suscitator |
| Binomial name: | Turnix suscitator |
| Distribution: | India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indonesia, Southeast Asia and Philippines; |
| Feeding habits: | seeds, invertebrates, insects and worms; |
| IUCN status listing: |  Least Concern |
1.Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Barred_Buttonquail.jpg
Images author: Savithri Singh | License: CC BY-SA 3.0
2.Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Barred_Button_quail_or_Common_Bustard-Quail_(Turnix_suscitatior)_Photograph_By_Shantanu_Kuveskar.jpg
Images author: Shantanu Kuveskar | License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Current topic in Birds of India: Barred buttonquail - Turnix suscitator.
