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Buttonquails (Turnicidae)

Common Buttonquail (Turnix sylvatica) - HBW 3, p. 53

French: Turnix d’Andalousie German: Laufhühnchen Spanish: Torillo Andaluz
Other common names: Striped/Small/Little(!)/Kurrichane Buttonquail, Andalusian Hemipode, Bustard Quail

Taxonomy: Tetrao sylvaticus Desfontaines, 1787, near Algiers.
May form superspecies with T. maculosa, with which formerly considered conspecific, but differs in colour of plumage, bill and legs. Internal taxonomy rather complex and still somewhat provisional. Race celestinoi of SE Philippines sometimes referred to T. maculosa: Mindanao claimed to hold two sympatric forms, celestinoi and masaaki, of which former referred to T. maculosa and latter to present species; however, it is not at all clear that “true” celestinoi-type birds actually occur on Mindanao, nor that celestinoi and .. View all taxonomy...

Taxonomy: Tetrao sylvaticus Desfontaines, 1787, near Algiers.
May form superspecies with T. maculosa, with which formerly considered conspecific, but differs in colour of plumage, bill and legs. Internal taxonomy rather complex and still somewhat provisional. Race celestinoi of SE Philippines sometimes referred to T. maculosa: Mindanao claimed to hold two sympatric forms, celestinoi and masaaki, of which former referred to T. maculosa and latter to present species; however, it is not at all clear that “true” celestinoi-type birds actually occur on Mindanao, nor that celestinoi and masaaki are indeed distinct; thus, as sympatry of two distinct forms is not demonstrated, on current evidence it appears safer to retain both forms in present species, and amalgamate masaaki with celestinoi. Several formerly recognized races now considered indistinguishable: alleni and arenaria merged into single African race lepurana; mikado merged into E Asian davidi. Nine subspecies normally recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • sylvatica (Desfontaines, 1787) - relictual in S Spain and NW African coast.
  • lepurana (A. Smith, 1836) - sub-Saharan Africa, except forests and deserts.
  • dussumier (Temminck, 1828) - W parts of SE Asia, from India to Myanmar; possibly E Iran (unconfirmed).

     See all 9 subspecies
  • sylvatica (Desfontaines, 1787) - relictual in S Spain and NW African coast.
  • lepurana (A. Smith, 1836) - sub-Saharan Africa, except forests and deserts.
  • dussumier (Temminck, 1828) - W parts of SE Asia, from India to Myanmar; possibly E Iran (unconfirmed).
  • davidi Delacour & Jabouille, 1930 - E parts of SE Asia, from Indochina through S China to Taiwan.
  • whiteheadi Ogilvie-Grant, 1897 - Luzon (N Philippines).
  • nigrorum DuPont, 1976 - Negros (SE Philippines).
  • celestinoi McGregor, 1907 - Bohol and Mindanao (SE Philippines).
  • suluensis Mearns, 1905 - Sulu Is (SW of Mindanao).
  • bartelsorum Neumann, 1929 - Java and Bali.
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