Photo: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Shorebirds

Red-backed Buttonquail

Turnix maculosus

Red-backed Buttonquail (Turnix maculosus) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of Australia & Oceania.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 7 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Australia Birds of Indonesia Birds of Australian Capital Territory Birds of New South Wales Birds of Northern Territory Birds of Queensland Birds of Western Australia

See what's near you right now

The Red-backed Buttonquail (Turnix maculosus) is a member of the Turnicidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 39.1 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Charadriiformes
Family Turnicidae Buttonquail
Genus Turnix
Species maculosus

Where it lives

Sulawesi and Lesser Sundas to south-central, northeastern, southeastern New Guinea, northern, eastern Australia and eastern Bismarck Arch.

Australia & Oceania

Quick facts

Weight: 39.1 g
Diet: Omnivores
Family: Turnicidae
Order: Charadriiformes
Habitat: Grassland & open country

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Red-backed Buttonquail is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Behaviour

A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Red-backed Buttonquail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Red-backed Buttonquail (Turnix maculosus) is a member of the Turnicidae family, within the order Charadriiformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Sulawesi and Lesser Sundas to sc, ne, se New Guinea, n, e Australia and e Bismarck Arch.

It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 39.1 g, with a wing length of about 7.4 cm and a tail of around 2.6 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.1 million km².

Songs & calls

Red-backed Buttonquail — Drumming, song

Recorded by Tom Tarrant Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Red-backed Buttonquail?

The Red-backed Buttonquail is a small bird that weighs around 39.1 g.

Where does the Red-backed Buttonquail live?

The Red-backed Buttonquail is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Sulawesi and Lesser Sundas to sc, ne, se New Guinea, n, e Australia and e Bismarck Arch, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.

What family does the Red-backed Buttonquail belong to?

The Red-backed Buttonquail (Turnix maculosus) belongs to the Turnicidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.

What does the Red-backed Buttonquail eat?

The Red-backed Buttonquail is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Does the Red-backed Buttonquail migrate?

The Red-backed Buttonquail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Red-backed Buttonquail endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Red-backed Buttonquail make?

1 real field recording of the Red-backed Buttonquail — including its drumming — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Red-backed Buttonquail's range?

The Red-backed Buttonquail has a mapped global range of about 1.1 million km².