Turnix tanki
The Yellow-legged Buttonquail (Turnix tanki) is a small, secretive terrestrial bird, measuring approximately 15-18 cm in length with a wingspan of 28-35 cm and weighing around 40-60 grams. Its plumage is cryptically patterned with rufous, buff, and black streaking on its back and crown, providing excellent camouflage in grassy habitats, while its underparts are paler, often buffy or whitish. A key identifying field mark, besides its distinctive bright yellow legs, is the lack of a hind toe, a...
Primarily inhabits grasslands, open scrub, cultivated fields, and dry woodland undergrowth, typically found in lowlands and foothills up to about 1,200 meters elevation.
Feeds primarily on small invertebrates such as insects, their larvae, and small worms, supplemented by seeds and plant matter, foraging by scratching and pecking at the ground.
Yellow-legged Buttonquails are highly secretive and predominantly diurnal, often active during crepuscular hours, spending most of their time foraging inconspicuously on the ground. They employ a 'run-and-freeze' strategy to avoid detection, flushing only when closely approached, and typically ro...
The Yellow-legged Buttonquail boasts a wide distribution across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Its breeding range extends from Pakistan and northern India eastward through Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, into much of mainland Southeast Asia including Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vie...
Least Concern
- The Yellow-legged Buttonquail is one of the few bird species where sexual roles are reversed; the female is more brightly colored, larger, and initiates courtship. - Females are polyandrous, meaning one female mates with multiple males, leaving each male to incubate and raise a separate clutch ...