Luzon buttonquail

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Luzon buttonquail
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Turnicidae
Genus: Turnix
Species:
T. worcesteri
Binomial name
Turnix worcesteri
McGregor, 1904

The Luzon buttonquail (Turnix worcesteri) or Worcester's buttonquail, is a species of bird in the family Turnicidae. It is endemic to the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland. It is locally known as "Pugo". It is a cryptic species and not easy to observe and is listed as "Data Deficient" by the IUCN.

Contents

It is named after American manager and zoologist Dean Conant Worcester (1866-1924).

Description

These birds are characterized by their black heads with white spots, a brown or fawn colored body and yellow legs on males. Females are brown with white and black spots.

Distribution and habitat

the Luzon buttonquail is known only from the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It is a very elusive bird and is only known from a few individuals that have been taken by hunters. Its main habitat is thought to be grassland in the highlands but it is unclear whether it also inhabits forests. [2] It has been observed to visit rice paddies and scrub lands near farm areas because of the availability of seeds and insects that they feed on regularly. It is very secretive, choosing to make small path ways through the rice fields. They are hunted by children and young men using spring traps along their usual path ways.

Sighting

The Luzon buttonquail was known only from drawings and descriptions until January 2009 when a local birdwatching group, the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, took photos and recorded a video of a lone specimen at a public market in the Caraballo Mountains. [3] The bird from Nueva Vizcaya, northern Luzon, appeared in a news feature by documentary filmmaker Howie Severino, a member of the GMA Network. [4] [5]

Status

Although this bird seems very scarce it remains so well hidden in its natural habitat that it may be more numerous than is thought. The IUCN has rated it as "Data Deficient". [2]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-legged buttonquail</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buff-breasted buttonquail</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sulu bleeding-heart</span> Species of bird

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The Madagascar buttonquail is a species of bird in the buttonquail family, Turnicidae, that is endemic to Madagascar and a few small islands nearby. It is a ground-dwelling species with an unusual breeding biology in which the sexual dimorphism is reversed, with female being more brightly coloured than the male and it is the male that incubates the eggs and mainly cares for the young.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fynbos buttonquail</span> Species of bird

The Fynbos buttonquail is a bird in the family Turnicidae formerly considered conspecific with the black-rumped buttonquail. There are no subspecies.

The New Caledonia buttonquail is a species of bird in the family Turnicidae. It is endemic to New Caledonia. It previously was considered a subspecies of the painted buttonquail.

References

  1. BirdLife International (2016). "Turnix worcesteri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22680588A92866987. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22680588A92866987.en . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Species factsheet: Turnix worcesteri". BirdLife International. Retrieved 2013-12-16.
  3. "Rare endangered Philippines quail spotted – on way to cooking pot". Home>Earth>Wildlife. Telegraph.co.uk. 2009-02-17. Archived from the original on 2009-02-19. Retrieved 2009-02-18.
  4. "Extinct bird, not seen for 100 years, photographed and eaten in The Philippines". Wildlife Extra. March 2009.
  5. Blog post

Bibliography

Mark Niel Maceda 2007