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In flight, note strong contrast between dark flight feathers and and bright yellowish back and wing coverts.
Not listed
Endemic to Australia
Indigenous: Dotterel Quail, Button Quail, Swift-Flying Turnix, Butterfly Quail, Swift-Flying Quail, Little Quail
At a glance
FamilyButtonquail
SizeSmall
RarityCommon
HabitatGrassland, Herbaceous Graminoids Sparse Hummock Grasses, Shrubland, Sparse woodland, and Woody Trees Scattered
Best timeMost reliable in Western Australia from June to August.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Marc Anderson
Range map
Range map
3671visible hotspots
12894visible records
5states
SparseModerateDense hotspot
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Small, pale buttonquail with pale eye and thick bill, found in grassland habitats across inland Australia. In some years, this species is very common; in others, it can be very scarce. Male has dark speckled markings on chest and flanks; female much more brightly plumaged, usually lacks breast markings.
Behavior
In flight, note strong contrast between dark flight feathers and and bright yellowish back and wing coverts.
Gallery