Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L00858:body:0:p5
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L00858
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 11988–15223

undertake recovery actions.

The review determined that the actions required to conserve and promote recovery of the species include short- and long-term activities that need to be coordinated at a landscape/regional level with a range of stakeholder groups. The review concluded a new recovery plan should be developed for the Black-breasted Button-quail. The Black-breasted Button-quail recovery plan is available from: www.environment.gov.au

Accompanying Species Profile and Threats Database (SPRAT) pages provide background information on the biology, population status and threats to the species. SPRAT pages are available from: http://environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=923

Conservation status

The Black-breasted Button-quail is a listed threatened species under the EPBC Act. The species is also listed under state legislation (Table 1).

The species was eligible for listing under the EPBC Act as on 16 July 2000 it was listed as Vulnerable under Schedule 1 of the preceding Act, the Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 (Cwlth).

     Table 1:  National and state conservation status of the Black-breasted Button-quail
Legislation                                                           Conservation Status
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cwth)  Vulnerable
Nature Conservation Act 1992 (Qld)                                    Vulnerable
Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (NSW)                              Critically Endangered

Taxonomy

Conventionally accepted as Turnix melanogaster (Gould 1837).

Species description

The Black-breasted Button-quail is a relatively large, plump, white-eyed button-quail. Males are about 18 cm long, with a wingspan of 32–35 cm, and weigh approximately 65-80 g. Females are larger, measuring up to 19 cm and weighing up to 150 g (Marchant & Higgins 1993; P Webster unpublished data). The sexes differ in plumage and no seasonal variation has been documented. Males have finely patterned backs and wings with brown, black, grey and white mottling. The face and throat are whitish with streaks across the face, and the breast is black with numerous white half-moon markings. The female is similar in all respects except for having a black face and throat, a larger dark area over the upper and lower breast with heavier white half-moon markings. The bill is grey, and the legs are bright yellow. Juveniles resemble males but are duller (Marchant & Higgins 1993).

Males, juveniles and immature birds may be confused with the Painted Button-quail (Turnix varius), which sometimes occur in both the drier and moister parts of the environment occupied by Black-breasted Button quail (Marchant & Higgins 1993). The dark breast and white eye of the Black-breasted Button-quail are features which can be used to separate the two species.

The species' eggs are shiny grey-white or buff splotched with dark brown-black and lavender. The eggs measure 28 mm x 23 mm.

Adult female Black-breasted Button-quail © Copyright, Patrick Webster

Species distribution in Australia

Black-breasted Button-quails are now thought to be confined to south-eastern Queensland from near Byfield (central Queensland) in the north to the