By Janice Pappas
Geographic Range
Hottentot buttonquail range from Ghana and Cameroon east to Uganda and Kenya and south to the northeastern part of Angola and Cape Province (Johnsgard, 1991). Some subspecies may range as far west as Sierra Leone and as far north as Sudan (Clancy, 1967). These birds are migratory and winter in the Sahel zone just below the Sahara (Johnsgard, 1991). (Clancy, 1967; Johnsgard, 1991)
Habitat
Hottentot buttonquail are found in grasslands and on the fringes of marshes where the grass is less dense. They are also found on scrub lands with thin stands of grasses and low bushes as well as fallow fields and gardens (Clancy, 1967). These buttonquail are adapted to arid regions (Johnsgard, 1991). (Clancy, 1967; Johnsgard, 1991)
Terrestrial Biomes:
savanna or grassland 
; scrub forest .
Wetlands: marsh .
Other:
agricultural .
Physical Description
(1.41 to 2.18 oz; avg. 1.8 oz)
(5.51 to 5.91 in)
On average, female hottentot buttonquail are 15 cm long, and males are 14 cm long. They weigh between 40 and 62 g. Females are black above with rufous mottling. Most of the feathers of the crown are back and edged in white. The rump and upper tail feathers are black. The rest of the head, the sides of the throat, and upper breast are buff, while the feathers capping the wings are a golden buff color. Feathers on the sides of the neck and breast are barred with black and white. Wing coverts are brownish-black and the outer primaries have a partial buff margin; the wing feathers are mottled with light red, buff and white, and barred with black. Wing tips are white. The lower breast and abdomen are buff grading to white. There are heavy blackish-brown spots on the breast, over the sides of the body and on the flanks. (Clancy, 1967; Johnsgard, 1991)
Some key physical features:
endothermic ; bilateral symmetry .
Sexual dimorphism: female larger.
Reproduction
Breeding occurs during or just after the rainy season.
All buttonquail are polyandrous.
Mating systems:
polyandrous .
Breeding occurs during or just after the rainy season. Mating occurs in South Africa from October to January, in Zimbabwe from September to February, in Malawi in April, in Nigeria in December and January, and in Kenya from May to July and October (Johnsgard, 1991).
The nest is a scrape (Clancy, 1967) or a scant pad of grass blades on the ground, under the canopy of a green or dried grass tuft (Johnsgard, 1991). Clutch size is two to six eggs; males incubate for 12 to 14 days (Johnsgard, 1991). The eggs are pyriform in shape, yellowish with light and dark brown speckles, and are 23 to 25 mm by 17 to 20 mm (Clancy, 1967). (Clancy, 1967; Johnsgard, 1991)
Key reproductive features:
iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; oviparous .
Male hottentot buttonquail incubate the eggs for 12 to 14 days. (Johnsgard, 1991)
Parental investment:
no parental involvement; pre-hatching/birth (protecting: male).
Lifespan/Longevity
We do not have information on lifespan/longevity for this species at this time.
Behavior
Little is known about this buttonquail since it is uncommon in its native habitat (Clancy, 1967). (Clancy, 1967)
Home Range
We do not have information on home range for this species at this time.
Key behaviors:
flies; motile .
Communication and Perception
The females utter a series of low-pitched, "hoo" notes that resonate. (Johnsgard, 1991)
Communicates with:
acoustic .
Food Habits
Hottentot buttonquail eat grasses, weeds, insects and their larvae, and other invertebrates. (Clancy, 1967)
Primary Diet:
omnivore .
Animal Foods:
insects; terrestrial non-insect arthropods.
Plant Foods:
leaves.
Predation
We do not have information on predation for this species at this time.
Ecosystem Roles
Hottentot buttonquail have an impact on the prey and plants they eat.
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
There are no known adverse affects of hottentot buttonquail on humans.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
As a result of their food habits, these buttonquail may help control weed and insect pests.
Ways that people benefit from these animals:
controls pest population.
Conservation Status
Hottentot buttonquail are not listed by either the IUCN or CITES.
For More Information
Find Turnix hottentottus information at
Contributors
Janice Pappas (author), University of Michigan.
Alaine Camfield (editor), Animal Diversity Web.
