Red-backed Buttonquail

Turnix maculosus (Temminck, 1815)

12–16 cmLength39 gWeight

The red-backed buttonquail (Turnix maculosus) is a species of bird in the family Turnicidae.

Busiest months: October–January · Most records: Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: October–January · Most records: Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia

Red-backed Buttonquail has been recorded at 50 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 5 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Lake Samsonvale – Golds Scrub LaneAustralia158 records
Tyto WetlandsAustralia46 records
Lake Samsonvale – Postmans TrackAustralia45 records

More places

Priors PocketAustralia28 records
Roebuck Plains StationAustralia21 records
Holmes Jungle Nature ReserveAustralia19 records
Atkinsons DamAustralia17 records
Oxley Creek CommonAustralia10 records
Finland Road, Paradise WatersAustralia9 records
Townsville Town Common Conservation ParkAustralia9 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Australia Papua New Guinea Indonesia Timor-Leste Solomon Islands

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 red-backed buttonquail (Turnix maculosus) is a species of bird in the family Turnicidae. It is found in Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and the Solomon Islands. Other names by which it is known in different parts of its range include black-backed, black-spotted and orange-breasted buttonquail.

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

Questions

How big is the Red-backed Buttonquail?

The Red-backed Buttonquail is about 12–16 cm long and weighs around 39 g.

Where does the Red-backed Buttonquail live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: Sulawesi and Lesser Sundas to south-central, northeastern, southeastern New Guinea, northern, eastern Australia and eastern Bismarck Archipelago. It is most often recorded in Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.

When is the best time to see the Red-backed Buttonquail?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, October, November and December (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Red-backed Buttonquail endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Red-backed Buttonquail as Least Concern.

What does the Red-backed Buttonquail eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Red-backed Buttonquail in?

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

At a glance

Length: 12–16 cm
Weight: 39 g
Habitat: Grassland
Diet: Omnivore
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 74 mm
Tail: 26 mm
Bill: 12 mm
Tarsus: 18 mm

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

Range

Australasia: Sulawesi and Lesser Sundas to south-central, northeastern, southeastern New Guinea, northern, eastern Australia and eastern Bismarck Archipelago

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2