I saw a female Little Button-quail at my place in Mulgoa Valley three
times last week.
On 8.12.04 about 4.00pm a small light brown bird ran across a weedy
garden at the top of my driveway and disappeared into shrubs. It was about
3m away. Sunny afternoon.
On 11.12.04 about 2.30 pm on the other side of the drive from the
first sighting, a small Button-quail, with a very plain light brown/fawn
head and neck, grey bill, light brown back with minimal patterning, ran away
from about 4m in front of me along the side of the drive and disappeared
between a parked car and the fence to shrubbery and a paddock beyond. I
watched it for perhaps seven seconds, had an excellent naked eye view. The
fawn head and neck were particularly obvious.
About 5.30pm (daylight saving) that afternoon I returned to the same
spot and what was presumably the same bird flushed and flew from left to
right across my field of view about 7m away. The brown head/neck/body with
dark outer and hindwings were apparant in the sunlight. It did not vocalise.
The bird was very small, about 15cm, very plain fawn/brown, no
markings noted on head, a suggestion of patterning on back, grey bill. It
was much smaller and plainer than a Brown Quail, which are from time to time
resident on my property, or Painted Button-quail. It was too plain for King
Quail or Red-chested Button-quail.
I have had definitive views of Little Button-quail several times,
especially spotlighting with Phil Maher at Deniliquin, close-up prolonged
views of a pair, Cape Range N.P.- a pair, Canning Stock Route, single female
ran along the track in front of us. Have also seen all the other B-qs except
Buff-breasted.
The bird was closest to the picture of the female in Pizzey &
Knight 7th Edn. p 162 except that the patterning on the back was less
noticable.
Michael Hunter
Mulgoa Valley
50km west of Sydney Harbour Bridge
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