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buttonquail |
Hottentot
Buttonquail:
Hottentot Buttonquail (Turnix (hottentota)
hottentota) is a poorly known yet distinctive form of buttonquail,
often lumped as a subspecies of Black-rumped Buttonquail. It
is restricted to the Fynbos Biome and occurs only from Cape
Town to Port Elizabeth, unlike the more northerly subspecies
of Black-rumped Buttonquail (Turnix (hottentota) nana) which
is found in grasslands across Africa. Previously thought to
be very rare, Hottentot Buttonquail has now been found to occur
quite widely in mountain fynbos. The Cape of Good Hope reserve
is the best place to search for this recalcitrant bird, and
surveys have estimated that the reserve holds approximately
300—500 individuals. Despite being fairly common, it is
difficult to observe, since most sightings are of birds flushing
just in front of one’s feet! Note that it lacks the obvious
black rump of the grassland Black-rumped Buttonquail, and the
males (with streaky, straw-coloured upperparts) are best distinguished
from Common Quail by their much smaller size and more fluttering
flight, without the short glides often made by the latter. The
more richly coloured females are further distinguished by their
buffy-orange upperwing coverts. It is also occasionally seen
at Sir Lowry’s Pass and at Potberg in the De Hoop Nature
Reserve.
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