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Red-chested Buttonquail (Turnix pyrrhothorax)

The Red-chested Buttonquail is a small, secretive, ground-running bird endemic to Australia. It uses dense grasslands, open grassy woodland and other sites with tussocks, sedges, leaf litter and woody debris, making retained ground cover important during clearing and construction. It is listed as Endangered in Victoria, where native grassland loss has been substantial.

Conservation status

Victoria, Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988: Endangered.

Breeding season

Timing varies across Australia and responds to rainfall. Northern birds have reported laying periods from February to July or September, while southern birds have reported laying from September to February; some populations remain in one area year round.

Month values are indicative across the species' range. Confirm local rainfall, vegetation condition, records and breeding activity before clearing.

  • Breeding: Breeding may occur at any time after rain. Laying is reported from February to July or September in the north, and September to February in the south.
  • Young: Males incubate and care for the young. Chicks leave the nest precocial, reach adult size in 6 to 8 weeks and develop adult-like plumage at 2 to 3 months.
  • Movement: Partial migration occurs between inland arid areas and semi-arid areas nearer the coast from winter through spring and summer. Rainfall, plant growth and food availability influence movement, and some populations are resident.
  • Highest clearing risk: Risk is highest where clearing overlaps local breeding, incubation or dependent young. Breeding can follow rain at any time, with reported regional laying periods in February to July or September in the north and September to February in the south.

Identification

The Red-chested Buttonquail is a small, elusive bird that usually runs through cover and avoids flight. When disturbed, it may burst from dense grass, fly low with whirring wings and drop back into cover.

Adults are 12 to 16 cm long. The upperparts are generally uniform grey-brown or pale grey when viewed from behind, with an obvious rufous wash from the side. The flanks are orange-chestnut. Close views may show a stout blue-grey bill, pink legs and feet, and pale eyes.

Male weight: 27 to 46 g

Female weight: 31 to 83 g

Identification: Sex and age differences

Females are larger and brighter than males. The female has richer rufous underparts extending towards the throat and sides of the head, with narrower and denser flank barring. Males are paler and may have a white chin. Juveniles are darker above, with white streaks and dark barring, bold white spots on the wing coverts, and pale underparts with a rufous-brown upper breast.

Identification: Field signs and similar species

Listen for the female's repeated advertising call, described as an ascending "oom" or "oom-oom-oom-oom" sequence. Disturbed birds may give a sharp chattering call, while adults also use soft whistles and chirrups. A nest is a ground scrape lined with grass or fine sticks, sometimes with a hood and a tunnel-like track to the entrance.

Look for small rotating feeding clearings, known as platelets, in leaf litter. The bird makes these by pivoting on one foot and raking with the other. The Red-chested Buttonquail is more uniformly grey-brown above than the Little Buttonquail, which has more contrasting wing tones and a more reddish-brown or pinkish underside. The Red-backed Buttonquail is darker slate-grey or blackish above, with dark underparts and a contrasting wing panel.

Distribution: Range by state and territory

The species is endemic to Australia and occurs mainly across eastern Australia, with additional records in the northern Northern Territory and northern Western Australia. The supplied documents do not identify named bioregional strongholds or provide a national population estimate.

The Red-chested Buttonquail is recorded in Queensland and New South Wales, including western New South Wales where it is threatened, and in northern Western Australia and the Northern Territory. It is present in Victoria but has very few records and is listed there as Endangered. It is very uncommon in South Australia and is absent from Tasmania.

Distribution: Distribution pattern and trend

The species is generally widespread but uncommon across much of its range. It is frequent or at least widespread in northern parts of its distribution, but sparse through much of Queensland, especially coastal areas. Southern populations are declining or suspected to be declining, and Victoria has experienced a major reduction in native grassland habitat.

Reported density: 0.2 to 5 birds per hectare

Victorian native grassland loss: About 95% of native grassland habitat has been destroyed or degraded, according to the supplied source

Distribution: Bioregional coverage

The source material does not assign records to named Australian bioregions. For project assessment, use the mapped state and territory range together with local records, habitat mapping and targeted surveys of dense grassland and open grassy woodland.

Habitat: Habitat types and vegetation

Red-chested Buttonquails use dense ground vegetation with access to bare ground and leaf litter. They occur in grasslands, open grassy woodland, semi-arid areas and some modified habitats where dense cover remains.

Recorded habitats include dense grasslands, open grassy woodland, native grass pastures, spinifex, Melaleuca woodland, standing crops, stubble, crops and weedy fields with dense ground cover. Woodland associations include Acacia, river red gum, Black box and Melaleuca.

Habitat: Structural features

Preferred sites combine bare ground and abundant leaf litter with little or no understorey, patches of tussock grass or sedges, and woody debris. Dense grass and low cover provide concealment, while open littered areas provide foraging ground.

Habitat: Elevation and moisture

The species occurs from sea level to 1000 m above sea level. It generally uses moister and denser vegetation than the Little Buttonquail, but also occupies semi-arid zones. Rainfall, plant growth and food availability influence local presence and movement.

Recorded elevation: Sea level to 1000 m

Foraging habitat: Food

The species feeds on the ground in open patches of deep leaf litter, usually close to dense cover. It forages alone, in pairs or in small groups of up to five.

The diet includes grass seeds and seeds of Triticum, Panicum and Malvaceae plants. Animal food includes cockroaches, ants, flies and their larvae.

Foraging habitat: Foraging method

The bird gleans and scratches through leaf litter, rotates on the spot by pivoting on one foot, and rakes with the other. It also pecks at the ground. Small platelets in leaf litter, and occasional dust puffs during dry periods, may indicate feeding activity.

  • Inspect open litter patches, tussock edges and areas adjoining woody debris for platelets before clearing.
  • Retain connected dense cover beside foraging areas so birds can retreat quickly when disturbed.

Foraging habitat: Foraging range

The supplied documents do not provide a typical foraging distance or home-range size. Records describe feeding alone, in pairs or in groups of up to five, with birds remaining close to the ground and nearby cover.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Red-chested Buttonquails breed on the ground in grassland, woodland and agricultural habitats where tussocks or other vegetation shelter a nest. Breeding is associated with rainfall and suitable food and cover conditions.

The female is sequentially polyandrous and initiates courtship. The male incubates the eggs and alone broods and feeds the young. Chicks leave the nest soon after hatching and are precocial and nidifugous.

Breeding season: Any time of year when rain provides suitable conditions; reported February to July or September in the north, and September to February in the south

Clutch size: Usually four eggs, with three to four reported

Incubation: 13 to 18 days from completion of the clutch

Age at adult size: 6 to 8 weeks

Age at adult-like plumage: 2 to 3 months

Age at sexual maturity: 6 months

Lifespan: Not stated in the supplied documents

Breeding habitat: Nest habitat

Nests are placed on the ground in a scrape lined with grass or fine sticks. Suitable sites include overhanging grasses, small shrubs, fallen branches and sheltered tussocks. Breeding habitat includes tussock grassland, spinifex, Melaleuca woodland, native grass pasture, standing crops and stubble.

  • Before clearing, search dense tussocks, grass overhangs, low shrubs and fallen branches for ground scrapes and tunnel-like approaches.
  • Avoid disturbing retained ground cover during periods when local rainfall has produced dense growth and breeding conditions.

Sheltering habitat: Refuge features

The species shelters at ground level and depends on dense vegetation and woody material for concealment. It normally retreats into cover rather than flying far when threatened.

Important refuge features include tussock grass, sedges, dense grass, overhanging vegetation, small shrubs, fallen branches, leaf litter and woody debris. Birds forage in open litter but retreat beneath tussocks or woody debris when disturbed.

  • Retain tussocks, sedges, dense ground cover and woody debris within and beside work areas where practicable.
  • Check ground-level cover before machinery access, trenching, slashing or vegetation removal.

Sheltering habitat: Shelter and escape behaviour

The species is a ground-running bird that generally avoids flying. When flushed, it may scuttle through grass or fly low with whirring wings before dropping back into cover. The supplied documents do not report a den, burrow, hollow, roost or refuge size.

Threats: Clearing and habitat loss

Habitat loss is the main documented threat, particularly the conversion and degradation of native grasslands. Clearing can also remove the ground cover and woody debris needed for feeding, nesting and escape.

Conversion of native grassland to agriculture has driven the decline in Victoria, where about 95% of native grassland has been destroyed or degraded according to the supplied source. Clearing, fragmentation and removal of dense ground cover can eliminate feeding and nesting sites and reduce movement between suitable patches.

  • Map and protect dense grassland, open grassy woodland, tussocks, sedges, leaf litter and woody debris before works begin.
  • Treat apparently suitable crops, stubble, weedy fields and native grass pastures as potential habitat where dense ground cover is present.

Threats: Grazing and production

Livestock grazing, crop production and pasture production are identified threats. Harvesting can destroy clutches in crops. Removal of woody debris for firewood also reduces shelter and nesting structure.

  • Plan crop, pasture and ground-cover disturbance outside periods when breeding is confirmed or likely at the site.
  • Retain fallen branches and other woody debris unless removal is required for safety or construction access.

Threats: Predators and other pressures

Feral cats and foxes have been reported killing the species. The supplied documents do not identify a specific disease threat, road mortality rate, fire regime effect or hydrology-change effect. Rainfall and plant growth influence habitat use and seasonal movement, so changes that reduce suitable cover or food may affect local presence.

  • Control or manage feral predators in accordance with the project environment plan and applicable approvals.
  • Record flushed birds, calls, nests and platelets during pre-clearance checks, and stop or modify works if active nests or dependent young are found.

Survey methodology: 1. Diurnal habitat searches and transects

Red-chested Buttonquails are secretive, ground-running birds that usually stay close to cover. Surveys should target dense grass, tussocks, leaf litter and open grassy woodland, with methods suited to birds that may scuttle rather than fly.

Walk systematic transects through all dense grassland, open grassy woodland, crops, weedy fields and other areas proposed for clearing.

Search the ground layer, tussocks, sedges, leaf litter and woody debris for birds, tracks, feathers, calls and characteristic foraging platelets.

Record the transect route, length, width, start and finish times, weather, vegetation structure and all observations.

Use a slow, quiet approach because birds may scuttle through grass and remain hidden until closely approached.

Known elevation range: Sea level to 1000 metres

Typical observation: A bird scuttling through cover or flying low with whirring wings

  • Prioritise areas with bare ground, abundant leaf litter, little understorey, tussock grass or sedges and woody debris.
  • Search during daylight and include periods around dawn or dusk, because the species has been reported foraging during the day and also at dusk or at night.
  • Record a flushed bird even if it flies only a short distance, including the direction of flight and the cover where it lands.

Survey methodology: 2. Call and low-light searches

Undertake quiet listening and observation periods at suitable grassland and grassy woodland edges, particularly where dense cover adjoins open foraging areas.

Listen for the female advertising call, described as a repeated ascending "oom" call, as well as sharp chattering, soft whistles and chirrups.

Use a spotlight only where it is permitted and safe, and scan ground level, tussock bases and the edges of woody debris rather than relying on canopy searches.

Reported call: Repeated "oom" notes, with the pitch and intensity increasing

Disturbance response: Scuttles through grass or flies low to nearby cover

  • Do not assume that a silent survey means the species is absent, because the bird is elusive and avoids flying.
  • Record the time, duration, observer names, weather, moon or artificial light conditions and the exact location of every call or sighting.
  • Do not use call playback unless it is authorised by the relevant wildlife authority and approved in the project survey plan.

Survey methodology: 3. Breeding and seasonal assessment

Inspect suitable ground cover for scrapes and grass-lined nests before clearing or soil disturbance.

Treat tussock bases, overhanging grass, small shrubs and fallen branches as potential nest locations.

Plan repeat visits where habitat is suitable but no birds are detected, because breeding can occur after rain and movement varies with rainfall, plant growth and food availability.

Nest: A ground scrape lined with grass or fine sticks, sometimes with a hood and tunnel-like entrance

Clutch size: Three to four eggs

Incubation: 13 to 18 days from completion of the clutch

  • Consider the local breeding period when setting survey timing: records describe breeding at any time after suitable rain, with eggs reported from February to July or September in northern areas and September to February in southern areas.
  • Look for four, or occasionally three, white eggs with chestnut-brown markings, but do not handle nests or eggs.
  • Keep people and machinery away from a suspected nest until the project ecologist has assessed the site and confirmed the required controls.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Use a documented, systematic survey design that covers every area of suitable habitat within the disturbance footprint and nearby retained habitat likely to be used by displaced birds.
  • Set the number, duration and spacing of transects and repeat visits through the project risk assessment and relevant state survey requirements, because the supplied documents do not provide a species-specific survey effort standard.
  • Do not claim absence from a single negative visit where dense cover, recent rain, seasonal movement or poor visibility could reduce detection.
  • Record survey dates, start and finish times, observers, methods, weather, rainfall history where available, habitat condition, effort, GPS locations, photographs and detection or non-detection results.
  • Submit confirmed records and relevant negative survey information to the applicable state wildlife database and include the record details in the project report.
  • Obtain any required permits before capture, handling, spotlighting, call playback or other regulated survey activity.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Avoiding loss of dense ground cover is the first control for this species. The project team should identify suitable habitat and breeding sites before finalising the clearing footprint.

Retain dense native grassland, tussock grass, sedges, leaf litter, bare foraging areas and woody debris wherever the design allows.

Retain open grassy woodland containing Acacia, river red gum, black box or Melaleuca where it provides dense ground cover and leaf litter.

Maintain connected patches of suitable ground cover between retained areas, because the species is a ground-running bird that generally remains close to cover.

Victorian status: The supplied project information lists the species as Endangered in Victoria

Main documented threat: Loss and degradation of suitable habitat, particularly native grassland

  • Avoid unnecessary removal of fallen branches, logs and other woody debris used as retreat cover or associated with nest sites.
  • Avoid converting native grassland to crop, pasture or hardstand where a practicable alternative exists.
  • Use the smallest practical access tracks, work areas and stockpile areas in suitable habitat.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and work planning

Confirm the current Commonwealth and state listing status for the project location before works begin.

The supplied information states that the species is not listed under the EPBC Act and is listed in Victoria, but the project environmental officer must verify the current legal status and any local requirements.

Prepare a species-specific fauna management plan where suitable habitat, a nest or a confirmed record occurs within or beside the work area.

  • Obtain any state permit, authorisation or approval required for disturbing, capturing, handling or relocating native fauna.
  • Seek ecological advice before setting the clearing program in areas with recent rain, active breeding evidence or repeated observations.
  • Stage clearing so that retained cover remains available while machinery works through each section.
  • Do not rely on the absence of an EPBC listing to remove the need to meet state approval and duty-of-care requirements.

Before habitat disturbance: Pre-clearance preparation

Complete a pre-clearance inspection of the final disturbance footprint and the immediate retained habitat shortly before works.

Mark suitable tussock patches, dense grass, nest scrapes, woody debris and other habitat features that are to be retained.

Use exclusion fencing or clearly marked no-go zones where this can prevent machinery and workers from entering retained habitat.

Adult length: 12 to 16 centimetres

Key identification features: Uniform grey-brown upperparts, orange-chestnut flanks or chest, pale eye, blue-grey beak and pink legs

  • Brief the fauna spotter catcher, machine operators, supervisors and subcontractors on the species' appearance, low flight behaviour, call and likely refuge areas.
  • Inspect areas proposed for clearing after suitable rain where practicable, because breeding is associated with good conditions after rain.
  • Keep domestic animals and non-essential personnel out of retained habitat and any area containing a suspected nest.
  • Confirm the destination and contact details for a veterinarian, wildlife carer and the relevant wildlife authority before clearing starts.

During habitat disturbance: Daily clearing controls

Clearing should proceed slowly enough for the fauna spotter catcher to inspect ground cover and respond to birds, nests and other fauna. Machinery must not move ahead of the agreed inspection and stop-work controls.

Hold a daily pre-start meeting to confirm the clearing boundary, retained habitat, weather, recent observations and stop-work procedure.

Inspect the work zone before machinery enters it, including tussock bases, dense grass, leaf litter, fallen branches and areas where a bird could scuttle to cover.

Clear progressively in small sections towards retained habitat, while avoiding creating a continuous moving front that traps animals between machinery and the cleared edge.

  • Keep machinery at walking pace or another speed agreed in the fauna management plan when entering suitable habitat.
  • Maintain the exclusion fencing, habitat markers and no-go areas throughout the workday.
  • Stop work immediately if a nest, injured bird, live bird unable to move away or other unexpected fauna hazard is found.
  • Do not chase a bird through dense cover or force it into flight unless this is necessary to prevent immediate harm.

During habitat disturbance: Fauna spotter catcher and machinery

Position the fauna spotter catcher where the next section of ground can be inspected safely before the machine moves.

Use agreed hand signals or radio calls so the operator can stop without delay.

Keep the machine stopped while the spotter catcher assesses the bird, nest, refuge area or injury and gives permission to resume.

  • The spotter catcher must not stand within the machine's exclusion zone or place themselves between moving plant and retained vegetation.
  • Use a second observer or a revised work sequence where dense cover, poor visibility or the machine's blind spots prevent safe inspection.
  • Record the location, time, action taken and outcome for every fauna interaction, including birds that leave the area without handling.

During habitat disturbance: Found animals, nests and habitat features

Only an appropriately authorised and experienced person may capture or handle a Red-chested Buttonquail.

Avoid handling where the bird can move safely into nearby retained cover and the fauna spotter catcher considers the area safe.

If relocation is authorised and necessary, move the bird only to nearby retained habitat with suitable dense cover, leaf litter, tussocks and woody debris, and record the release location.

Nest location: Ground scrape under overhanging grass, a small shrub or fallen branch

Chick development: Chicks leave the nest precocial and reach adult size in 6 to 8 weeks

  • Do not handle eggs, chicks or a suspected nest unless the relevant authority and project approvals allow it.
  • Do not remove logs, branches, tussocks or other ground cover from a suspected nest area until it has been assessed by the project ecologist.
  • Take an injured or sick bird to an authorised wildlife carer or veterinarian as soon as practicable, using a secure, dark, ventilated container and minimal handling.
  • Do not provide food or water unless directed by a veterinarian or authorised wildlife carer.
  • Treat a nest, repeated bird observations, an injured bird or a bird found inside the clearing boundary as a stop-work trigger until the project ecologist sets controls.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Controls remain necessary after the last machine leaves. The project team should check that retained habitat is intact and that clearing has not affected birds using nearby cover.

Inspect the cleared edge and retained habitat for injured birds, nests, trapped fauna, damaged exclusion fencing and accidental encroachment.

Check that retained tussocks, sedges, leaf litter and woody debris have not been crushed, buried or removed by machinery, stockpiling or vehicle movement.

  • Complete the inspection before demobilising the fauna spotter catcher from each clearing stage.
  • Reinstate fencing, signs and no-go markers if they are damaged.
  • Remove temporary materials and waste from retained habitat without disturbing ground cover unnecessarily.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

Monitor retained and rehabilitated habitat for Red-chested Buttonquails, especially where birds were recorded before clearing or where work was conducted after rain.

Use the same mapped locations and comparable search methods where repeat monitoring is required, so changes in records and habitat condition can be assessed.

Reported density range: 0.2 to 5 birds per hectare

  • Report all sightings, calls, nests, injuries, relocations, mortalities and stop-work events to the project environmental officer.
  • Include dates, times, GPS locations, observers, photographs, habitat condition, weather, action taken and the final outcome in the fauna register.
  • Submit confirmed records to the relevant state wildlife database and report any required incidents to the approval authority.
  • Review the fauna management plan if birds continue to use the work edge or if retained habitat is losing dense ground cover.

After habitat disturbance: Offsets and ongoing controls

Apply any approved offset, habitat protection or restoration requirement where residual impacts remain after avoidance and minimisation.

Maintain weed, grazing, vehicle access and predator controls in retained and offset areas where they are included in the approved management plan.

  • Do not remove retained ground cover or woody debris during follow-up maintenance unless the ecologist has confirmed that it is not being used.
  • Review the site after major rainfall, fire or changes in grazing because these factors can alter cover, food availability and bird movements.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore habitat structure

Rehabilitation should recreate the ground structure used for foraging, nesting and escape. The priority is suitable native grassland or open grassy woodland with dense cover, leaf litter and some bare ground.

Re-establish native tussock grasses and sedges in cleared areas that supported dense ground cover before the project.

Retain or reinstate patches of bare ground within the grass cover because the species forages in open leaf litter and scratches or gleans on the ground.

Retain or place suitable woody debris and fallen branches to provide refuge and potential nest shelter.

Preferred habitat structure: Dense grassland or open grassy woodland with bare ground, abundant leaf litter, little or no understorey, tussocks or sedges and woody debris

  • Use local native plant material suited to the existing community, including Acacia, river red gum, black box or Melaleuca where those species formed part of the original open grassy woodland.
  • Do not create a dense shrub layer that replaces the open ground, tussock and leaf-litter structure used by the species.
  • Do not install hollows or nest boxes as a substitute for Red-chested Buttonquail habitat, because the supplied documents describe a ground nest rather than a tree hollow nest.

Rehabilitation actions: Manage threats

Control weeds and grazing so native tussocks, sedges, leaf litter and woody debris can develop and remain in place.

Manage feral cats and foxes in accordance with the approved site management plan because both are documented predators or threats for the species.

Plan fire management to retain suitable ground cover and avoid repeated loss of tussocks, litter and woody debris.

  • Prevent vehicles, livestock and stockpiles from entering rehabilitated habitat.
  • Avoid removing woody debris for firewood or site tidiness.
  • Reassess grazing, weed and fire controls if monitoring shows declining cover or continued failure of native grass establishment.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitoring and success measures

Inspect rehabilitation after establishment and after major rainfall to confirm that native tussocks, sedges, leaf litter and woody debris are present and functioning as habitat.

Use repeat searches for birds, calls, nests and foraging platelets at the same locations and with comparable effort over time.

Useful biological indicators: Bird sightings, repeated calls, ground nests and foraging platelets in leaf litter

  • Set project-specific completion dates and habitat targets in the rehabilitation plan before works begin.
  • Measure survival and cover of planted native grasses, persistence of leaf litter and woody debris, weed cover, evidence of grazing, predator activity and vehicle intrusion.
  • Treat a confirmed Red-chested Buttonquail record, nest or repeated call in rehabilitated habitat as evidence of use and retain the habitat under the applicable management controls.
  • Report monitoring results, failed targets and corrective actions to the project environmental officer and relevant approval authority.

Sources