Turnicidae

Description

Small, plump, almost tail-less ground-dwelling birds with short legs, buttonquails resemble true quails (in the family Phasianidae), but lack both a hind toe and an internal crop to store seed. Unlike most birds in which the sexes differ in size and plumage, the female buttonquail is the larger and more brightly coloured sex, as well as being more vocal and aggressively territorial than the male. After laying a clutch of eggs, she leaves the male to incubate them and to raise the chicks when they hatch, then may find another partner with which to mate.

Buttonquails live in open habitats such as grassland, forest edge, secondary growth and savanna where they forage for seeds, soft green leaves and insects on the ground. Their well-camouflaged nest is also built on the ground. Two species occur in Java, and only one is found in Baluran.

Flight

When flushed “explosive” sound as wing beats rapidly; flight is direct, shallow, and short distance