Barred Buttonquail Turnix suscitator
Etymology:
- Turnix : Abbrevation of Latin word coturnix – quail
- Suscitator: Latin word for awakener derived from suscitare to arouse
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- Taigoor : Name from a Hindu Mythology
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- Bengalensis : From Bengal in India
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- Plumbipes: Latin word plumbeus – plumbeous ,lead; Latin word pes, pedis- foot
Vernacular Names: Hindi: Samanya Gulu, Gundra, Gundulu, Salui Gundra, Pun: Bateri, Ben: Gulu, Ass: Sansorai, Cachar: Daoduma, Lepcha: Timokpho, Naga: Inruibuma, Kuki: Vohbubum, Bhutia: Tinisk, Guj: Horn bater, Kali chati bil bater, Mar: Durwa, Patteri Butlowa, Ta: Kadai, (M) Ankadij, (F) Kurung kadik, Te: (M) Kalada, (F) Pured, Kan: Karechakki, Sinh: Bola watuwa
Distribution :
- s. taigoor – Central & South India South from W Gujarat and Bihar (except West Bengal).
- s. bengalensis- lower West Bengal
- s. plumbipes– Assam
Description: It has a size of 13·5–17·5 cm; weight of male is 35–52 g, female is 47–68 g.
It is large, russet-brown with boldly patterned head, barred underparts and flesh-coloured, greyish, greenish-yellow or yellow legs and feet.
The female is brighter than male, with black throat/upper breast, heavy black barring over rest of breast and upper flanks, deep rufous-buff ventral region and rufous collar in some races;
The irides are pale yellow and bill is grey with yellow base and tip (lacks contrasting tip in male)
Non-breeders are duller.
The juvenile is like male, but smaller and more buff-coloured wing-coverts and fringes to flight feathers, with V-shaped or rounded black spots (not bars) on breast; female quickly develops black throat.
Races vary in size, and in patterns and coloration of plumage; sexes alike in some races;
Race T. s. taigoor – Rufous upperparts with especially bold, white-fringed wing-coverts, and bill has larger yellow base, female has extensive black on throat and breast
Race T. s. bengalensis- Uniform pale grey-brown upperparts, rufous-buff ground colour to underparts, plain grey-white face with black tips to feathers, deep-based bill, and female has especially broad black throat
Race T. s. plumbipes – Dark grey-brown above with weak pale streaking
Habitat: It is found in grassland sugarcane, coffee and tea plantations, deserted fields, secondary growth, scrub, bamboo thickets and forest edge habitats, on sandy soil, often near water. It is found from from sea-level up to 2500 m. It breeds in rank ground vegetation, often near margin of more open ground.
Food habits: It eats grass and weed seeds, invertebrates and green shoots. It is terrestrial. It forages among grass and leaf-litter, where makes circular scrapes in mulch. It commutes to foraging sites via well-defined trails, marked by footprints
Breeding habits: They breed in all months, They are solitary breeder; females sequentially polyandrous. The nest is a pad of grass in shallow depression, often in grass tuft; stems bent to form overhead dome with side entrance, usually sited close to small bush or palm, presumably for shade. They lay a clutch of 4 eggs. The incubation period is 12–16 days. Incubation and chick-care done by male alone.
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