Turnix nigricollis

(Gmelin, 1789)

Vernacular names
English : Madagascar buttonquail
French : Turnix de Madagascar

Classification
Class : Aves
Order : Charadriiformes
Family : Turnicidae
Notes : No other subspecies known

Identification
Adults can grow to 16 cm in length for a weight of 84 g. Round body, short legs. Wings, back and face are brown-grey with black and white spotting and mottling. Male has black breast, grey and chestnut flanks. Female is grey-white.

Range and habitat
The species occurs in Indian Ocean islands of Madagascar, Reunion, Glorieuses and Juan de Nova. Introduced but now extinct on Mauritius. Lives in grasslands, woodlands, savannas and dry forests, plantations, to 2000 m.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not Listed
Status : The species is still relatively common in parts of Madagascar and is thought to be secure (despite hunting) because it can survive in disturbed habitats.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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