Partridges, Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies
King Quail
Synoicus chinensis
- Family
- Partridges, Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies (Phasianidae)
- Order
- Galliformes
Overview
The king quail (Synoicus chinensis), also known as the Asian blue quail, blue-breasted quail, Chinese painted quail, button quail, or Chung-Chi, is a very small, diminutive galliform of the tribe Coturnicini in the subfamily Phasianinae. They are the smallest member in this subfamily and the family Phasianidae, as well as being the smallest and lightest member of the order Galliformes. It is quite common in aviculture worldwide, where it is sometimes referred to as the "button quail", although it is not closely related to the family of birds called buttonquails. Its voice is a piping whistle, ti-yu or ti-ti-yu.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: King quail
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.