Black-breasted Button-quail

Description:

Male:- Crown fawn-brown with black-mottled stripes at side. Rest of upper surface deep russet-brown, the feathers barred black and lined cream. Wings grey-brown, wing coverts dull chestnut, flecked cream. Face and throat freckled cream with black edging. Breast and flanks coarsely spotted cream with black edging to feathers. Belly and undertail buffier grey with fainter spotting. Eye cream-white. Bill mid-grey. Feet dull yellow; claws darker.

Habitat:

Throughout scattered clearings and on the edges of rainforests, in eastern Queensland and northern New South Wales. Sighted in scrubby, mulchy area with grassland surrounds.

Notes:

Lucky to have a shot that Birdlife Australia was able to positively identify. Thank you B. A. The IUCN red list classifies this bird as a near threatened species - the list was updated on 1st. October, 2016. Current trend, though, is that this species is decreasing. The young are fed by the male, which makes a soft, clucking sound. Reference:- Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds. Photographs have been edited.