Madagascar Buttonquail (Turnix nigricollis)

About Madagascar Buttonquail (Turnix nigricollis)

• Kingdom: Animals
• Phylum: Chordates
• Class: Birds
• Order: Shorebirds and Allies
• Family: Buttonquail

All buttonquail are polyandrous.

Mating System: polyandrous

Breeding occurs in December and January. During egg-laying, the female will walk about and utter a "pairing note" which becomes louder and louder. The nest is a scrape on the ground. One nest was found to be constructed of moss with a 20 cm tunnel which led to the scrape on the ground. Another nest was found to have a tunnel of ribbon grass and moss 30 cm long. A clutch consists of two to four eggs which are 5 to 8 g in weight and 26.8 by 19.8 mm in length. While the female patrols the pair's territory, the male incubates the eggs for 13 to 16 days.

Breeding season: Breeding occurs in December and January.

Range eggs per season: 2 to 4.

Range time to hatching: 13 to 16 days.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; oviparous

While the female patrols the pair's territory, the male incubates the eggs for 13 to 16 days. Initially the male cares for the chicks, however, within a week the female also takes part in caring for the young.

Parental Investment: no parental involvement; pre-hatching/birth (Protecting: Male, Female); pre-weaning/fledging

The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors