Buttonquail

Buttonquail, also known as hemipodes, are part of the Turnicidae family, consisting of 18 species across two genera, primarily in the genus Turnix and one in Ortyxelos. These small, ground-dwelling birds with rather dull plumage are often found in the warm grasslands of Asia, Africa, Europe, and Australia, and they prefer running to flying. Female buttonquails are more brightly colored and are known for their polyandrous breeding behavior, in which the female mates with multiple males. Males take on the responsibility of incubating the eggs and caring for the young, following a unique nesting process where both sexes contribute to building a ground nest. Despite a superficial resemblance to true quails, buttonquails are actually more closely related to shorebirds, lacking a hind toe and having a distinctive vocal organ for booming calls. The smallest species is the quail-plover, measuring just 10 cm long and weighing 20 g. Buttonquails reach sexual maturity quickly, with the smallest species doing so at just three months. Noteworthy species include the Common buttonquail, the extinct Tawitawi small buttonquail, and other variously colored and patterned buttonquails such as the Red-backed, Black-rumped, and Spotted buttonquails, among others.