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. Mostly only seen when flushed and rarely seen out in the open.
Local Status: Uncommon resident
Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)
Location: Lorong Halus, Seletar
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, Nov 2024, Dec 2024, Jan 2025
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 February 28, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/king-quail.