Painted Button - Quail

The Painted Buttonquail (Turnix varia) is a buttonquail, one of a small family of birds which resemble, but are unrelated to, the true quails. This species is resident in Australia.

This buttonquail is about 19-20 cm long. It occurs in grassy forests and woodlands. It feeds on insects and seeds, and males incubate the eggs for a fortnight and then care for the young.

The female is the more brightly coloured of the sexes. Her eye is red, and her crown, face and breast is flecked with white. Her shoulders are chestnut, with thin white streaking above them. The male is slightly smaller and duller.