Birds of Singapore
by the Bird Society of Singapore
Synoicus chinensis
Family: Partridges, Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies · Status: Uncommon resident · Size: 13–15 cm · Conservation: Least Concern
Resident in the Indian Subcontinent, southern China, Southeast Asia, and Australia.
Male has slaty-blue head, breast and flanks, blackish throat with enclosed white malar and throat patches, chestnut lower breast to vent, and yellowish-orange legs; distinctive blue-and-chestnut pattern separates it immediately from Barred Buttonquail. Female is larger than male and has buff-orange supercilium and brownish overall plumage with blackish bars on breast and flanks; separated from female Barred Buttonquail by the dark iris and finer barring on underparts rather than bold black-and-white bars. Juvenile resembles female, with juvenile male possessing darker markings above.
Dry to slightly marshy grassland and scrub.
Ground-dwelling and skulking; forages on the ground for grass seeds and small insects. Mostly encountered when flushed from the grass and rarely seen out in the open.