Ortyxelos meiffrenii
The diminutive Quail-plover, *Ortyxelos meiffrenii*, is Africa's smallest buttonquail, a family taxonomically distinct from true quails or plovers, yet exhibiting characteristics of both. Measuring a mere 10-12 cm in length and weighing just 15-20 grams, this elusive bird possesses a cryptic sandy-brown plumage with delicate streaking on its upperparts, contrasting with pale underparts, allowing it to vanish into its arid environment. Its most striking feature is its disproportionately long, ...
This species exclusively inhabits dry, open grasslands, savannas, and thorny scrublands, preferring sandy soils in semi-arid zones across sub-Saharan Africa, typically at low elevations.
Its diet primarily consists of small insects, including grasshoppers, beetles, and ants, supplemented with various small seeds gathered from the ground.
The Quail-plover is a largely diurnal, but exceedingly shy and secretive bird, spending most of its time hidden amidst sparse vegetation. When threatened, its primary defensive strategy is to freeze motionless, relying entirely on its exquisite cryptic camouflage; if approached too closely, it wi...
The Quail-plover is broadly distributed across the semi-arid Sahelian belt of sub-Saharan Africa, extending from the Atlantic coast of Senegal and Mauritania eastward through Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan, and South Sudan. Its range continues into the Horn of Africa, encompassing parts of Eritrea, Eth...
Least Concern
- The Quail-plover is the smallest member of the buttonquail family and one of the smallest birds in Africa, measuring just 10-12 cm. - Despite 'quail' and 'plover' in its name, it is neither a true quail (family Phasianidae) nor a true plover (family Charadriidae), belonging instead to the uniqu...