Black-rumped Buttonquail Turnix nanus Scientific name definitions

Irregular and local in sub-Saharan Africa, mainly from Nigeria E to Uganda and Kenya, S to Angola and E South Africa; status and limits of range particularly uncertain in W Africa (reported W as far as Sierra Leone and as a breeder to Ivory Coast) (4 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Short (characteristically 25–50 cm tall) (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) and fairly open grassland and savanna including dry sandy plains (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), often in moist zones including floodplains (5 Dowsett, R. J., D. R. Aspinwall, and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2008). The Birds of Zambia. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ) (though usually little standing water) (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); also found in fallow fields, native gardens, scrubland, areas of short herbage, and edges of thickets; occurs from sea-level up to 1800 m. Possibly tracks fire cycles in places, and evidently leaves some areas when vegetation becomes too tall and dense (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); typically occurs in shorter grassland than T. sylvaticus (6 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (2006). The Birds of Malawi: An Atlas and Handbook. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ). Breeds in wet grassland and probably rice fields, away from trees, plains occasionally in somewhat marshy, harvested fields of sugarcane.

Poorly understood. Resident and local intra-African migrant; apparently itinerant over most of range, where tends to be breeding migrant during rains. Resident in Kenya, perhaps Uganda (recorded only Apr–Oct) (7 Carswell, M., D. Pomeroy, J. Reynolds, and H. Tushabe (2005). The Bird Atlas of Uganda. British Ornithologists’ Club and British Ornithologists' Union, Oxford, UK. Close ) and South Africa; breeding visitor to Malawi (records Apr–Dec) (6 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (2006). The Birds of Malawi: An Atlas and Handbook. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ), Zimbabwe (in wet season) (8 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ) and perhaps Zambia (although situation in latter country complex, and may only move locally in response to burning or flooding, with dry-season influx from Kalahari Basin reported) (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); probably only vagrant to Nigeria, although breeding recorded; erratic appearances in Cameroon. Migrates at night. Sometimes flushes twice, but is generally very difficult to flush, flying only short distance before returning to cover, and usually preferring to run from perceived danger (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) (even dogs) (9 Urban, E. K., C. H. Fry, and S. Keith, Editors (1986). The Birds of Africa. Volume 2. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ).

Few specific data available. Seeds of grasses and weeds; invertebrates including insects and their larvae. Food taken on ground. Usually recorded singly or in pairs, only occasionally in small groups (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Vocalizations offer best means of detection and provide extremely strong evidence of breeding, but singing season can be very brief, perhaps just a few weeks in some areas (e.g. in Congo-Brazzaville). Female advertising call is similar to, but considered shorter and faster than, T. sylvaticus, a low “hoom hoom hoom” uttered at rate of 1·6 notes/second, with virtually no pause between notes; sometimes a flufftail (Sarothrura)-like “oooooop-oooooop”; also reported to give a low- and even-pitched humming noise that last c. 1 minute or more (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Laying occurs in most months, but locally during or at end of rainy seasons (e.g. Sept–Feb, mainly Dec–Jan, in Zimbabwe) (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); elsewhere, in Jul (9 Urban, E. K., C. H. Fry, and S. Keith, Editors (1986). The Birds of Africa. Volume 2. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ), and Oct–Feb in Zambia (5 Dowsett, R. J., D. R. Aspinwall, and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2008). The Birds of Zambia. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ), Sept and Dec–Jan in KwaZulu-Natal (8 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ), with chicks in Jan in Uganda (7 Carswell, M., D. Pomeroy, J. Reynolds, and H. Tushabe (2005). The Bird Atlas of Uganda. British Ornithologists’ Club and British Ornithologists' Union, Oxford, UK. Close ). Solitary breeder; females possibly polyandrous. Nest is shallow scrape (50–75 mm wide and 20 mm deep) (9 Urban, E. K., C. H. Fry, and S. Keith, Editors (1986). The Birds of Africa. Volume 2. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ), lined with grass, under or between grass tussocks with standing stems bent to form loose canopy, or under sheaf of fallen grass without canopy. Usually three greenish-white (9 Urban, E. K., C. H. Fry, and S. Keith, Editors (1986). The Birds of Africa. Volume 2. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ) eggs with dark grey or olive-brown markings (9 Urban, E. K., C. H. Fry, and S. Keith, Editors (1986). The Birds of Africa. Volume 2. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ) (2–6), 20·5–24·5 mm × 17–20 mm (9 Urban, E. K., C. H. Fry, and S. Keith, Editors (1986). The Birds of Africa. Volume 2. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ); incubation 12–14 days by male alone; downy young undescribed. No further information.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Uncommon or locally common, but cryptic in plumage and behaviour and easily overlooked or misidentified (6 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (2006). The Birds of Malawi: An Atlas and Handbook. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ); less numerous than partially sympatric T. sylvaticus. Locally common in Congo, Uganda (where precise status unclear) (7 Carswell, M., D. Pomeroy, J. Reynolds, and H. Tushabe (2005). The Bird Atlas of Uganda. British Ornithologists’ Club and British Ornithologists' Union, Oxford, UK. Close ) and Kenya (though few records in latter country since 1950) (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); widespread but local in Zambia (where estimate of c. 40,000 individuals in Liuwa Plain National Park) (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) and Malawi (although very few recent records in latter) (6 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (2006). The Birds of Malawi: An Atlas and Handbook. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ); uncommon and local in Mozambique and Zimbabwe, and apparently also in W Africa, where some records may be doubtful (10 Dowsett, R. J., F. Dowsett-Lemaire, and A. Hester (2008). The avifauna of Ghana: additions and corrections. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 15(2):191–200. Close ). Occurrence in Ghana, which long rested on a single specimen collected during dry season, recently reconfirmed by records since 2005 in N & SE of country, in Jul–Oct (wet season) and the species’ range there could be quite extensive (11 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (2014). The Birds of Ghana: An Atlas and Handbook. Tauraco Press, Liège, Belgium. Close ). Occurrence in Botswana unconfirmed (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) and just two records in Tanzania (12 Leonard, P. and Leonard, A. (2004). Black-rumped Buttonquail Turnix hottentota [sic] in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Scopus. 24: 46-47. Close ). Very rare in South Africa, where range has undergone major contraction, probably due, at least in part, to overgrazing, human settlement (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), trampling and excessive burning of habitat, but remains regular around Morgan Bay. Association with dry and heavily grazed grasslands (including rice cultivation), and attraction to areas disturbed by cattle, suggest that species is likely to be secure; however, overgrazing could be a threat in some areas and the species is probably dependent on wet areas for breeding.