The New Caledonian buttonquail is a species of bird in the family Turnicidae. It is endemic to New Caledonia. It previously was considered a subspecies of the painted buttonquail.
Region
Melanesia
Typical Environment
Historically associated with lowland to foothill habitats on Grande Terre, especially dry sclerophyll forests, grassy woodlands, and maquis shrubland with ample leaf litter. It likely uses scrubby edges, forest clearings, and lightly wooded savannas where it can forage on the ground. Dense herb layer and litter are important for cover and foraging. Because it is extremely secretive and rarely observed, the precise current range and habitat preferences remain poorly known.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1000 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This elusive buttonquail is endemic to New Caledonia and was once treated as a subspecies of the Australian painted buttonquail. It is likely Critically Endangered and possibly extinct, with very few confirmed records. Like other buttonquails, females are typically more vocal and may be polyandrous, while males undertake most incubation and chick-rearing. It favors dense ground cover and is more often detected by its footprints and calls than seen.
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low fast flush over short distances
Social Behavior
Typically ground-dwelling and solitary or in pairs. As in other Turnix, the species is thought to have reversed sex roles, with females initiating courtship and males incubating and tending chicks. Nests are shallow scrapes on the ground concealed in dense vegetation.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Generally quiet; females give low booming or drumming calls that carry through dense cover. Soft clucks and whistles are used at close range, especially when alarmed or contacting a mate.
Plumage
Mottled and barred with a mix of browns, rufous, and black, providing excellent camouflage in leaf litter. Feathers show fine speckling and scalloping on the upperparts with a paler, buffy underbody. Females tend to be richer-toned with more contrast on the head and breast.
Diet
Feeds on small invertebrates such as ants, termites, beetles, and other insects, along with seeds and small fallen fruits. Uses a foot-trembling technique to flush prey from leaf litter. Probes and picks along the ground, turning over debris to locate food.
Preferred Environment
Forages in leaf-littered floors of dry forests, scrub, and grassy edges where cover is close at hand. Often keeps to dense understory and avoids open ground except when moving quickly between cover.
