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Species › Birds

Kurrichane Buttonquail

Turnix sylvaticus

Order
Charadriiformes
Family
Turnicidae
Presence in the Strait
Historical
Protection in Spain
In danger of extinction · Andalusian Catalogue
In Spanish
Torillo andaluz

Photograph: Ryan van Huyssteen, CC BY, vía iNaturalist

Length
15–16 cm
Weight
32 g
01020LENGTH15–16 cmcentimetres

Presence in the Strait

Extirpated. In the 19th Century was frequently observed in palm plantations along the coasts of Cadiz and Malaga. Recorded on the beach of La Línea, Gibraltar, San Roque, at the mouth of the River Guadarranque, near Algeciras, Vejer de la Frontera and close to Benalup, scarce between Algeciras and Tarifa. Last sightings in the region: a bird caught at La Janda in 1955 and another on 20.10.78 on the bank of the River Barbate (former Torero lagoon) at Vejer de la Frontera. Scarce later sightings in the Western part of the province of Cadiz.

Identification

Similar to the Common Quail but with an orange breast and black-spotted flanks. Female has more striking plumage. Extremely elusive and rarely flies. Its song resembles the far-off moo of a cow.

Bioestrecho editorial text. Last revised: 8 September 2026.

Gallery

Photographs from iNaturalist observations with the licence checked file by file. Those marked “Strait” were taken within the area; place and date are those of each observation.