Painted buttonquail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Painted buttonquail |
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Turnix
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varius
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The painted buttonquail (Turnix varius) is a small, ground-dwelling bird found in Australia. Even though it looks a lot like a quail, it actually belongs to a different bird family called Turnicidae. These birds are known for their beautiful, speckled feathers.
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Understanding the Painted Buttonquail
The painted buttonquail was first officially described in 1801 by an English bird expert named John Latham. He gave it the scientific name Perdix varia. This scientific name helps scientists around the world know exactly which animal they are talking about.
What Does a Painted Buttonquail Look Like?
This bird is about 19 to 20 centimeters (about 7.5 to 8 inches) long. It lives on the ground in forests and woodlands where there is plenty of grass. Painted buttonquails eat insects and seeds.
The female painted buttonquail is usually brighter and more colorful than the male. She has red eyes and white flecks on her head, face, and chest. Her shoulders are a chestnut color with thin white stripes above them. The male is a bit smaller and has duller colors.
Where Do Painted Buttonquails Live?
The painted buttonquail is native to Australia. You can find them in many parts of the country, from Queensland in the north, all the way south to New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania. There is also a separate group of these birds living in the southwestern part of Western Australia.
A special type of painted buttonquail, called the Abrolhos painted buttonquail (Turnix varius scintillans), lives only on the Houtman Abrolhos islands, which are off the west coast of Australia. Sadly, another type, Turnix varius novaecaledoniae, used to live in New Caledonia but is now believed to be extinct. It hasn't been seen since 1912.
Is the Painted Buttonquail in Danger?
The painted buttonquail lives across a wide area in Australia. Even though we don't have an exact number of how many there are, experts believe their population might be shrinking. In some places, they are quite common, but in others, they are harder to find.
The IUCN, a group that studies wildlife, has listed the painted buttonquail as a species of "Least Concern". This means that, for now, they are not considered to be in immediate danger of disappearing.
Images for kids
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Chicks (mainland subspecies) adopting a defensive posture
See also
In Spanish: Torillo pintojo para niños
