Bird Guide

Quail-plover

Ortyxelos meiffrenii

Least ConcernInvertebratesGrasslandScrapeSmall · 18 g

About the Quail-plover

The quail-plover, lark buttonquail or lark-plover is a small ground-living bird in the buttonquail family Turnicidae that is found in the Sahel region of Africa and in a disjunct region of East Africa. It is the only species placed in the genus Ortyxelos.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ID tip

The quail-plover is a small, short-tailed cursorial bird which slightly resembles a miniature courser when on the ground. The upperparts are a sandy-rufous colour and the underparts mainly whitish. They show a distinctive wing pattern in flight when the contrast between the white primary coverts and the black with white-tipped remiges to form a distinct diagonal band on the upperwing. Its fluttering flight style is rather lark-like. The females are slightly darker than the males while the juveniles are paler.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where the Quail-plover lives

Regular range

When to see the Quail-plover

Peak activity in January · a winter visitor species across most of its range

Easily confused with

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