Birds of India - The New Synopsis

A complete checklist of bird species and subspecies found in India

Charadriiformes (Shorebirds, Gulls, and Terns)

Turnicidae (Buttonquails)

• Turnix Bonnaterre, 1791 Tableau encyclopédique et méthodique des trois règnes de la nature. Ornithologie. 2nd ed. 1 p.lxxxii,5 Tetrao gibraltaricus Gmelin, 1788; Type by subsequent designation (Gray, 1840, A list of the genera of birds, with an indication of the typical species of each genus, p.63) = Tetrao sylvaticus Desfontaines, 1789
  • 264. Yellow-legged Buttonquail Turnix tanki Blyth, 1843
    Alternative Names: Yellow-legged Bustard-quail
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Moderate. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 264a. Turnix tanki tanki Blyth, 1843 [HB#314]
      Original Description: Turnix tanki Blyth, 1843 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 12 p.180 (Bengal)
      Taxonomy: Subspecies albiventris Le Messurier, 1904 of Nicobar Is. included here following Ripley (1982, A Synopsis of the Birds of India and Pakistan). However, investigation required as it is likely to be blanfordii on range.
      Distribution: Breeding: N subcontinent from Punjab in the north to Gujarat in the west and W Bengal in the east and south through C India till about C Maharashtra and Telangana. Winter: S India till S Kerala. Also, resident in Nicobar Is – Car Nicobar, C Nicobar Is. (Terera, Kamorta, and Trinket Is.) as well as Great Nicobar Is.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMMZ, FMNH, ROM, USNM, YPM, TNHM, FTLB
      Notes: Exact limits of breeding range and full scale of movements not yet worked out.
    • 264b. Turnix tanki blanfordii Blyth, 1863 [HB#315]
      Original Description: Turnix Blanfordii Blyth, 1863 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 32 p.80
      Distribution: Winter: Brahmaputra valley in Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Cachar, and Andaman Is.
      Specimens: YPM
      Notes: Manipur & Mizoram range not investigated. Andaman reports assumed to be this subspecies on range.
  
  
  • 265. Barred Buttonquail Turnix suscitator (Gmelin, 1789)
    Original Description: Tetrao Suscitator Gmelin, 1789 Systema Naturae. Editio decima tertia, aucta, reformata. Cura Jo. Frid. Gmelin (etc.). Tomus I. Pars II 1 pt2 p.763
    Alternative Names: Common Bustard-quail
    IUCN: Least Concern. SoIB: Low. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 265a. Turnix suscitator plumbipes (Hodgson, 1837) [HB#316]
      Original Description: Coturnix plumbipes Hodgson, 1837 The Bengal Sporting Magazine 9 p.346
      Distribution: Along the base of the Himalaya from about Jammu east through Uttarakhand, N Uttar Pradesh, N Bihar, N Bengal, Sikkim, Brahmaputra plains of Assam, and adjoining Arunachal; Meghalaya, Manipur valley, Mizoram, and Tripura.
      Specimens: BNHS, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, ROM, YPM, LKO
      Notes: Probably Nagaland & Cachar as well.
    • 265b. Turnix suscitator bengalensis Blyth, 1852 [HB#317]
      Original Description: Turnix bengalensis Blyth, 1852 Catalogue of the birds in the Museum Asiatic Society p.256 (Lower Bengal)
      Taxonomy: Poorly differentiated subspecies from plumbipes. Includes isabellinus Robinson & Baker (1928) from Calcutta [=Kolkata].
      Distribution: S W Bengal.
      Specimens: BNHS, YPM
      Notes: Probably adjoining Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha. BNHS #19292 (Kolkata) is probably what Abdulali (1968, JBNHS 66 (2):284) listed in the catalogue. The other known specimen is YPM #010167 from Chandpara (W Bengal).
    • 265c. Turnix suscitator taigoor (Sykes, 1832) [HB#318]
      Original Description: Hemipodius Taigoor Sykes, 1832 Proceedings of the Committee of Science and Correspondence of the Zoological Society of London Part 2 no.23 p.155 (Deccan [=Dukhun])
      Distribution: Throughout the peninsula south of Punjab, through Delhi region, Rajasthan (excluding Thar), Gujarat, C India, and S India (except S Kerala).
      Type Specimen: NHMUK#1880.1.1.1963 (Syntype).
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, NHMUK, UMZC, UMMZ, AMNH, FMNH, ROM, YPM, TNHM, LKO, FTLB
  
  
  • 266. Small Buttonquail Turnix sylvaticus (Desfontaines, 1789)
    Original Description: Tetrao sylvaticus Desfontaines, 1789 Histoire de l'Académie Royale des Sciences. Avec les Mémoires de Mathématique & de Physique (1787) p.500 pl.13
    Alternative Names: Common Buttonquail, Little Bustard-quail
    IUCN: Least Concern. WLPA: Schedule-II.
    • 266a. Turnix sylvaticus dussumier (Temminck, 1828) [HB#313]
      Original Description: Hemipodius Dussumier Temminck, 1828 Nouveau recueil de planches coloriées d'oiseaux, pour servir de suite et de complément aux planches enluminées de Buffon livr.76 pl.454 fig.2
      Distribution: Base of Himalaya from Uttarakhand and Punjab, through the NW India in Delhi region, E Rajasthan, and Gujarat; adjacent C India extending till Chhattisgarh and south to Maharashtra and Telangana. Disperses further south and east after breeding but extension of non-breeding range is little known.
      Specimens: BNHS, ZSI, UMZC, AMNH, FMNH, YPM, TNHM, FTLB
      Notes: Reports from NE India not evaluated as no specimens have been located (see RA2012).