The quail-plover, lark buttonquail or lark-plover is a small ground-living bird in the buttonquail family Turnicidae that is found in the Sahel region of Africa and in a disjunct region of East Africa. It is the only species placed in the genus Ortyxelos.
Region
Sahel and East Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily across the Sahel from Senegal and Mauritania east through Mali, Niger, Chad, and Sudan to Ethiopia and Somalia, with a disjunct population in parts of East Africa (e.g., Kenya and Tanzania). Prefers open, sparsely vegetated savannas, sandy plains, fallow fields, and semi-desert with scattered grasses and low scrub. It favors flat ground with short cover where it can run and freeze to avoid detection. After rains it may appear in areas where it was previously absent, tracking green-up and insect flushes.
Altitude Range
0–1600 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Despite its name, the quail-plover is not a true quail or plover; it is a buttonquail and the sole member of the genus Ortyxelos. It inhabits dry grasslands and semi-desert, where it runs swiftly and flushes only at close range, flying low with pointed, lark-like wings. Females are polyandrous and more vocal, while males incubate the eggs and care for the young. It often makes seasonal, rain-following movements across the Sahel.
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats; low, direct flight before dropping to cover
Social Behavior
Typically solitary or in pairs; females may maintain small territories and court multiple males. Nest is a shallow ground scrape hidden under grass tufts. The female initiates courtship and the male incubates and broods the chicks. Broods are precocial and leave the nest shortly after hatching.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Vocalizations are mostly delivered at dusk and night, consisting of soft, repetitive hoots or booming notes from the female. Contact and alarm calls are thin, high-pitched whistles given when flushed or separated.
