Scientific Name: Synoicus chinensis
Malay Name: Pikau Biru Asia
Chinese Name: 蓝胸鹑
Alternative Name(s): Blue-breasted Quail
Range: Found from Indian Subcontinent to Southern China, Southeast Asia and Australia
Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: chinensis, trinkutensis, lineatus, lepidus, victoriae, colletti.
Local Subspecies: chinensis
Size: 13-15 cm
Identification: Male has slaty-blue head, breasts and flanks, blackish throat with enclosed white malar and throat patches, chestnut lower breast to vent and yellowish-orange legs. Female is larger than male and has buff-orange supercilium and brownish overall plumage with distinctive blackish bars on breast and flanks. Juvenile resembles female.
Similar looking species: Barred Buttonquail
Habitat: Dry to slightly marshy grassland and scrub.
Behaviour/Ecology: Skulking and difficult to flush.
Local Status: Uncommon resident
Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)
Location: Lorong Halus, Punggol Barat.
Featured reports: May 2022, Jun 2022, Nov 2022, Dec 2022, Jun 2023, Jul 2023, Aug 2023, Dec 2023, Jan 2024, Feb 2024, Mar 2024, Jun 2024
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (Blue-breasted Quail)
References:
BirdLife International. (2016). Synoicus chinensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22678979A92797212.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023
Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.
RECOMMENDED CITATION
Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). King Quail. Retrieved on December 6, 2024 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/king-quail.