- Turnix velox
Identification
Female unmarked pale colour below, and straw-brown above with white streaking; the male is similar but less neatly-marked. The species has a large pale bill, and pale eye.
Distribution
Taxonomy
The Little Buttonquail is part of the buttonquail family Turnicidae. Some taxonomist place Turnicidae within the monotypic order Turniciformes (eg Sibley et al. 1988; Christidis and Boles), while others placeTurnicidae into the Charadriiformes (Paton and Baker 2006). Buttonquails superficially resembles the true quail, but are actually unrelated. They are an old world group, characterised by their polyandrous mating system; the females are more brightly coloured, the males incubate eggs and care for young.
Habitat
Grassland.
