Buttonquails - Group Overview

Buttonquails are small, ground-dwelling birds belonging to the family Turnicidae. Despite their name and superficial resemblance, they are not true quails and are instead a distinct group within the order Charadriiformes.

These birds are typically found in grasslands, scrub, open woodland, and agricultural landscapes, where they rely on camouflage and stillness rather than flight to avoid detection. Buttonquails have rounded bodies, short tails, and prefer running through vegetation when disturbed.

In India, species such as the Barred Buttonquail occur across a wide range of dry and semi-open habitats. They are often difficult to observe due to their secretive behaviour and tendency to remain concealed on the ground.

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Photographs in this section document buttonquails in their natural environments, capturing field characters, habitat context, and behaviour such as foraging and alert postures. All images are identified with accurate species information and location details wherever available.

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Licensing & Prints

High-resolution photographs of buttonquails will shortly be available for editorial licensing, commercial use, and fine-art prints. Explore the complete collection here:
View Buttonquails Collection