The spotted buttonquail is a species of bird in the family Turnicidae. It is endemic to Philippines on the island of Luzon.
Region
Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Endemic to the Philippines, with its stronghold on Luzon where it occupies grasslands, open scrub, forest edges, secondary growth, and agricultural mosaics such as fallow fields and rice margins. It keeps close to dense ground cover and often uses weedy verges and lightly wooded clearings. The species is typically terrestrial, moving by running rather than flying. It may also persist in degraded habitats provided there is thick herbaceous cover. Encounters are usually brief as it flushes low and drops back into cover.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Despite the name, buttonquails are not true quails; they belong to their own family, Turnicidae. Females are more brightly colored and do most of the calling, while males incubate the eggs and rear the young. This species is secretive and often detected by its low booming calls rather than seen. It is endemic to the Philippines, primarily on Luzon.
A litograph by Joseph Smit
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, explosive flush
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs. The species is polyandrous: females may mate with more than one male, and males incubate the eggs and care for the chicks. Nests are shallow scrapes on the ground concealed in dense grass; chicks are precocial and leave the nest soon after hatching.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations include low, booming hoots and repetitive cooing notes, most often given by females. Calls are typically heard at dawn and dusk and can carry through dense vegetation.
Plumage
Densely spotted and mottled upperparts with buff ocellated spots on a warm brown background; underparts paler with variable spotting and barring. Females show richer rufous tones and more contrasting markings, especially on the throat and upper breast. Feathers are short and compact, aiding a sleek, ground-dwelling profile.
Diet
Feeds on a mix of small invertebrates such as ants, termites, beetles, and other insects, supplemented with seeds and green plant matter. It forages by pecking and scratching at the ground and leaf litter. During wetter periods, it may take more invertebrates; in drier times, seeds form a larger portion of the diet. Chicks rely heavily on small, soft-bodied insects.
Preferred Environment
Forages on the ground in tall grass, weedy fields, rice margins, and lightly wooded edges where cover is abundant. Often stays close to paths or clearings but quickly retreats into dense vegetation when disturbed.
