Fun Barred Buttonquail Facts For Kids

Turnix suscitator, often known as the common bustard quail or button quail, is a small, dumpy little bird that belongs to the phylum Chordata and family Turnicidae. These birds have tiny and unpaved heads, short collars, short legs, three toes on each foot, no hind toe, and rudimentary tails.

Females, especially when breeding, have a dull red on their throat and breast, and black and white foreparts. For camouflage and in search of food, they use their beautifully patterned feathers with black mottling, vermiculation (irregular lines), and pale streaks.

It has a single carotid artery and a fifth secondary feather in each wing. These birds may be found worldwide even if they are most common in India.

In nature, these birds prefer to be free.

The range map of the barred buttonquail has spread across India. Various species of this bird can be found all over the world.

There are many subspecies of the bird, such as Turnix suscitator thai. This Thai subspecies of the bird is most common.

Females use a succession of eight to eleven booming notes that sound like 'oom-oom', which receptive males respond to with trilling, chattering, or clucking calls. If you like this article, check out these leghorn chicken facts and greater sage grouse facts.

Barred Buttonquail Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a barred buttonquail?

A barred buttonquail is a type of bird.

What class of animal does a barred buttonquail belong to?

It belongs to the Aves.

How many barred buttonquails are there in the world?

There are 16 species of this bird and they are divided into two genera, with the majority of species belonging to the Turnix genus and only one belonging to the Ortyxelos genus. In India and throughout the world, these are the most prevalent birds.

Where does a barred buttonquail live?

The distribution of these true quails is extensive and ranges from India across tropical Southeast Asia to south China, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Burma, Himalayas and throughout the world.

What is a barred buttonquail's habitat?

The barred buttonquail range map includes the dense weedy vegetation of Sri Lanka, mountains, forest edges, scrub jungle, light deciduous forest, cinnamon plantations, and farmlands throughout the world.

They live in old rice paddy fields and grass plains that are dry and sandy with overgrowth or scrub of woody vegetation, cinnamon plantations, bamboo jungles, and derelict cotton fields.

True quails appear to be year-round residents in India and around the world in the more temperate sections of their geographical range, with some birds remaining free and sedentary for long periods of time.

Their nests are generally found beneath a tree, shrub, stump, or fallen branch, in dense or tussocky grass.

Who do barred buttonquails live with?

Barred button quails live alone, in pairs, or in family groups and are mainly found in Sri Lanka due to its dense vegetation.

How long does a barred buttonquail live?

Females and males have distinct lifespans. Females have a lifespan of four to seven years whereas the male buttonquail lives for 7-13 years.

How do they reproduce?

The barred buttonquail female is monogamous, which means the female establishes a brief monogamous bond with a male until she has provided him with an egg clutch. Then they search for a new partner while the barred buttonquail egg and the nestling are taken care of by the first partner.

Eggs might weigh anywhere between 0.01-0.2 lb (4.6-7.1 g). The incubation period lasts about 13 days.

Barred buttonquails eggs are precocial, meaning they hatch in less than 40 days. Both males and females construct the nest. The male barred button quail will then incubate the eggs in this dome-shaped nest near the ground.

Male bird races for dominance during the breeding season and impress the ladies and also tends towards the young ones. They have two breeding seasons in a year.

What is their conservation status?

The barred buttonquail (Turnix suscitator) is widely distributed and common across its wide range and variety of habitats throughout the year, adapting to living in close proximity to humans and benefiting from agriculture activities. As a result, population distribution is thought to be steady and sustainable, posing no threat, and is considered as of Least Concern.

Barred Buttonquail Fun Facts

What do barred buttonquails look like?

The barred buttonquail (Turnix suscitator) is a richly colored little bird. Females are more colorful than males. The bird has a blue beak and yellowish-white eyes according to the description. Females have a rusty red breast and a black-and-white speckled collar.

How cute are they?

Turnix suscitator is a lovely tiny bird with a blue-gray bill and legs, as well as distinctive yellowish white eyes and pale buff shoulder patches on the wings when flying. They are one of the loudest birds, but that doesn't mean they're not cute!

How do they communicate?

This bird tends to make different kinds of sounds like loud 'hoon- hoon- hoon'. Dove-like or bovine 'oo-oo' sounds are spoken or called by females.

How big is a barred buttonquail?

Barred buttonquails (Turnix suscitator) are 4.7–9.1 in (12-23 cm) in length. The average barred buttonquail's wingspan is around 4.7-6.3 in (12 - 16 cm). It is smaller than a kestrel.

How fast can a barred buttonquail fly?

Turnix suscitator, or the common bustard quail, is slow-moving and is often hidden in search of prey.

How much does a barred buttonquail weigh?

The weight of these birds ranges between 0.066-0.286 lb (30-130 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There is no distinct name given to the males or females.

What would you call a baby barred buttonquail?

Baby barred buttonquails are called chicks.

What do they eat?

These birds eat millet, fresh greens, tiny invertebrates, and various grass seeds, as well as insects, worm snakes, hister beetles, mayflies, and a small amount of green foliage may also be consumed by them.

Are they dangerous?

They are not dangerous.

Would they make a good pet?

Buttonquails can be raised with chickens and can be kept as pets. However, it is important to remember that males should not be kept together because they get hostile and possessive with other quails.

Did you know...

They do not migrate and are a territorial species.

They are not endangered, and they can be found all over India and the world.

How did the barred buttonquail get its name?

The Turnix suscitator species gets its name from the fact that these birds are closely related to actual true quail species and subspecies and are as little as a button. As a result, these birds are referred to as buttonquails.

What is unique about barred buttonquails?

Their wings, though some have vividly patterned wings, are one of their distinguishing features. In flight, the plains-wanderer is longer-legged and more shorebird-like, with a slight wing bar.

Females have a rusty red breast and a black-and-white speckled collar. The following characteristics distinguish button quails from both gallinaceous and crane-like birds: a short incubation period of 12-13 days, male-only brooding, male-only rearing of the young, greater size, and brighter colors of the female species, and females' booming sounds or calls.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our mountain quail facts and blue grouse facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable barred buttonquail coloring pages.

Main image by Sheau Torng Lim.

Second image by Shantanu Kuveskar.