It flies rarely, will freeze when you near it and will only flush when almost stood on. This small gamebird, weighing a mere 50g, will fly 30m to 50m and then drop down, never to be seen again. In flight it shows a diagnostic dark back and rump which contrasts with the paler wing coverts.
Buttonquails are unusual in that they are polyandrous (the female mates with more than one male – occurs in less than 1% of bird species) with the male incubating and caring for the precocial chicks. As a result the females are larger and more brightly coloured than the males.
Unfortunately the surrounding areas are rapidly being developed and the available habitat for this rare bird is shrinking. The area is also being more frequently grazed by cattle which threaten the nests of these ground nesting birds. Hopefully this council owned land will remain undeveloped and these rare birds will remain in the small patch of remaining suitable habitat.
Please stay on the tracks and don’t drive through the grassland to get to the cache.
The area is fairly isolated and it is recommended that you do not do this cache on your own. The air strip no longer exists and has been replaced with warehouses.