YELLOW LEGGED BUTTONQUAIL BIRD

TAG: GS 3: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: The yellow-legged buttonquail, an elusive and uncommon breeding migrant bird, was recently spotted in the urban areas of Bopal-Ghuma in Ahmedabad city.

EXPLANATION:

  • The yellow-legged buttonquail (Turnix tanki) is a small, ground-dwelling bird typically found in grasslands and scrublands.
  • It is not commonly seen in urban areas. The sighting of this bird in the Vastrapur area of Ahmedabad is considered significant.
  • Experts suggest that the buttonquail’s presence in the urban area could be due to habitat loss or disturbance in its natural grassland habitats.

Conservation

  • The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the yellow-legged buttonquail as a Least Concern species.
  • However, its populations are declining due to habitat loss and hunting.
  • This sighting highlights the importance of urban green spaces in providing refuge for wildlife.

Yellow legged Buttonquail

  • The yellow-legged buttonquail (Turnix tanki) is a buttonquail, one of a small family of birds that resemble true quails but are unrelated to them.
  • This family is peculiar in that the females are larger and more colourful than the males and are polyandrous.
  • It belongs to the family Turnicidae.
  • This species is native to various habitats across the Indian subcontinent, EastAsia, and Southeast Asia, adapting well to the local environments.
  • It has two subspecies: T. t. tanki in Pakistan, India, Nepal, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands; and T. t. blanfordii in Myanmar, Indochina, and eastern China.
  • It also migrates to the Korean peninsula and parts of southeast Russia.
  • The yellow-legged buttonquail is a small quail that grows to 15 to 18 cm (6 to 7 in). The females are slightly larger and more brightly coloured than the males.
  • The weight is 36 to 43 g (1.3 to 1.5 oz) for the subspecies Turnix t. tanki, and 35 to 78 g (1.2 to 2.8 oz) for the male Turnix t. blanfordii, while the female of this subspecies is 93 to 113 g (3.3 to 4.0 oz).
  • The tail is short, and the wings have rounded ends.

SOURCE: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ahmedabad/yellow-legged-buttonquail-bird-sighted-in-urban-area-in-ahmedabad/articleshow/111761351.cms

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