Black-breasted Buttonquail (Turnix melanogaster)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Black-breasted Buttonquail

Turnix melanogaster (Gould, 1837)

17–19 cmLength87 gWeight

The black-breasted buttonquail (Turnix melanogaster) is a rare buttonquail endemic to eastern Australia.

Most records: Australia

Vulnerable

Where and when it's recorded

Black-breasted Buttonquail has been recorded at 5 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Gold Creek ReservoirAustralia4 records
  2. O'Reilly's Rainforest RetreatAustralia2 records
  3. Shelley Road ParkAustralia1 record
More places
  1. D'Aguilar National Park – Araucaria CircuitAustralia1 record
  2. Lake Samsonvale – Postmans TrackAustralia1 record

Countries and regions with the most records

Australia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The black-breasted buttonquail (Turnix melanogaster) is a rare buttonquail endemic to eastern Australia. As with other buttonquails, it is unrelated to the true quails. The black-breasted buttonquail is a plump quail-shaped bird 17–19 cm (6.7–7.5 in) in length with predominantly marbled black, rufous, and pale brown plumage, marked prominently with white spots and stripes, and white eyes.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Black-breasted Buttonquail?

The Black-breasted Buttonquail is about 17–19 cm long and weighs around 87 g.

Where does the Black-breasted Buttonquail live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: southeastern Queensland (east-central Australia). It is most often recorded in Australia.

Is the Black-breasted Buttonquail endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black-breasted Buttonquail as Vulnerable.

What does the Black-breasted Buttonquail eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Black-breasted Buttonquail in?

It belongs to the family Buttonquail (Turnicidae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Length
17–19 cm
Weight
87 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Vulnerable
More measurements
Wing
104 mm
Tail
40 mm
Bill
15 mm
Tarsus
25 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Australasia: southeastern Queensland (east-central Australia)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Buttonquail Turnicidae
Genus
Turnix

Other birds in the genus Turnix

Yellow-legged ButtonquailYellow-legged ButtonquailTurnix tankiRed-backed ButtonquailRed-backed ButtonquailTurnix maculosusBarred ButtonquailBarred ButtonquailTurnix suscitatorSpotted ButtonquailSpotted ButtonquailTurnix ocellatusCommon ButtonquailCommon ButtonquailTurnix sylvaticusLittle ButtonquailLittle ButtonquailTurnix veloxRed-chested ButtonquailRed-chested ButtonquailTurnix pyrrhothoraxLuzon ButtonquailLuzon ButtonquailTurnix worcesteriSumba ButtonquailSumba ButtonquailTurnix everettiBlack-rumped ButtonquailBlack-rumped ButtonquailTurnix nanusFynbos ButtonquailFynbos ButtonquailTurnix hottentottusChestnut-backed ButtonquailChestnut-backed ButtonquailTurnix castanotus
Black-breasted Buttonquail

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Indra Bone. ↗

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