Painted Buttonquail
Turnix varius
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
- FamilyTurnicidae (Buttonquails)
- GenusTurnix (Buttonquail)
- SpeciesTurnix varius (Painted Buttonquail)
About the Painted Buttonquail
The painted buttonquail (Turnix varius) is a species of buttonquail, the family Turnicidae, which resemble, but are unrelated to, the quails of Phasianidae. This species is resident in Australia where numbers are believed to be in decline. A subspecies, the Abrolhos painted buttonquail (Turnix varius scintillans), is endemic to the Houtman Abrolhos islands.
The painted buttonquail was first described by the English ornithologist John Latham in 1801 under the binomial name Perdix varia. "Painted buttonquail" has been designated the official name by the International Ornithologists' Union (IOU).
Two subspecies are recognised. The possibly-extinct New Caledonian buttonquail (Turnix novaecaledoniae) of New Caledonia was formerly considered a third subspecies, but was split as a distinct species by the IOC in 2021.
The painted buttonquail is about 19 to 20 cm (7.5 to 7.9 in) long. It is a ground-dwelling bird and is found in grassy forests and woodlands. It feeds on insects and seeds, and the males incubate the eggs for a fortnight and then care for the young.
The female is the more brightly coloured of the sexes. Her eyes are red, and her crown, face... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Flinders Chase
Pacific Gull
Larus pacificus
Silver Gull
Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
Masked Lapwing
Vanellus miles
Sooty Oystercatcher
Haematopus fuliginosus
Crested Tern
Thalasseus bergii
Banded Lapwing
Vanellus tricolor
Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ferruginea
Latham's Snipe
Gallinago hardwickii
Hooded Plover
Thinornis cucullatus
Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Bush Stone-curlew
Burhinus grallarius
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flinders Chase | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Freycinet National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Painted Buttonquail in Flinders Chase?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Painted Buttonquail sighting in Flinders Chase, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Painted Buttonquail in Flinders Chase?
December has the highest sighting rate for Painted Buttonquail in Flinders Chase in our monthly data.