Post by Tirso Paris on May 10, 2012 6:47:55 GMT
I was scouting for barred buttonquails in my usual birding area in UP Los Banos but couldn't find one in my first two rounds using my car. I decided to make a third round and was lucky to see a couple of barred buttonquails on the road with their beaks locked to each other. I thought they were in some kind of mating ritual as they were kissing each other. However, the action was fierce and spirited, very much like a wrestling match. They were also unmindful of my presence and for almost a full two minutes, I was able to take over a hundred pictures of the action.
At home, after some close scrutiny, I noticed that both of them are females with the distinctive black patch on their throats. Therefore they could not have been mating but instead fighting. I did some research on buttonquails fights and indeed females usually furiously fight with rival females to keep possession of their mate. Baker in 1928 wrote that you could not keep two females together as they always fought until one is disabled. Wikipedia says "..the female is the brighter of the sexes, initiates courtship and builds the ground nest. She fights with other females for the possession of a cock, uttering a loud drumming drr-r-r-r-r as a challenge to rival hens and also to announce herself to a cock."
All pictures were taken using my Canon EOS 7D, EF 100-400mm L IS USM, car window support and natural light.
Barred Buttonquails (Turnix suscitator), Los Banos, Laguna
2012-05-09 08:33, 1/1250 sec, Shutter priority, F 5.6, ISO 200, 400 mm.
2012-05-09 08:33, 1/1250 sec, Shutter priority, F 6.3, ISO 200, 400 mm.
2012-05-09 08:33, 1/1250 sec, Shutter priority, F 5.6, ISO 160, 400 mm.
2012-05-09 08:34, 1/1250 sec, Shutter priority, F 6.3, ISO 250, 400 mm.
2012-05-09 08:34, 1/1250 sec, Shutter priority, F 6.3, ISO 250, 400 mm.
2012-05-09 08:34, 1/1250 sec, Shutter priority, F 6.3, ISO 250, 400 mm.
2012-05-09 08:34, 1/1250 sec, Shutter priority, F 6.3, ISO 250, 400 mm.
2012-05-09 08:34, 1/1250 sec, Shutter priority, F 6.3, ISO 250, 400 mm.
2012-05-09 08:34, 1/1250 sec, Shutter priority, F 5.6, ISO 320, 400 mm.
2012-05-09 08:35, 1/1250 sec, Shutter priority, F 5.6, ISO 320, 400 mm.
At home, after some close scrutiny, I noticed that both of them are females with the distinctive black patch on their throats. Therefore they could not have been mating but instead fighting. I did some research on buttonquails fights and indeed females usually furiously fight with rival females to keep possession of their mate. Baker in 1928 wrote that you could not keep two females together as they always fought until one is disabled. Wikipedia says "..the female is the brighter of the sexes, initiates courtship and builds the ground nest. She fights with other females for the possession of a cock, uttering a loud drumming drr-r-r-r-r as a challenge to rival hens and also to announce herself to a cock."
All pictures were taken using my Canon EOS 7D, EF 100-400mm L IS USM, car window support and natural light.
Barred Buttonquails (Turnix suscitator), Los Banos, Laguna
2012-05-09 08:33, 1/1250 sec, Shutter priority, F 5.6, ISO 200, 400 mm.
2012-05-09 08:33, 1/1250 sec, Shutter priority, F 6.3, ISO 200, 400 mm.
2012-05-09 08:33, 1/1250 sec, Shutter priority, F 5.6, ISO 160, 400 mm.
2012-05-09 08:34, 1/1250 sec, Shutter priority, F 6.3, ISO 250, 400 mm.
2012-05-09 08:34, 1/1250 sec, Shutter priority, F 6.3, ISO 250, 400 mm.
2012-05-09 08:34, 1/1250 sec, Shutter priority, F 6.3, ISO 250, 400 mm.
2012-05-09 08:34, 1/1250 sec, Shutter priority, F 6.3, ISO 250, 400 mm.
2012-05-09 08:34, 1/1250 sec, Shutter priority, F 6.3, ISO 250, 400 mm.
2012-05-09 08:34, 1/1250 sec, Shutter priority, F 5.6, ISO 320, 400 mm.
2012-05-09 08:35, 1/1250 sec, Shutter priority, F 5.6, ISO 320, 400 mm.
I'm sure this is the first photographic documentation of this behavior among Buttonquails! Great job, Prof. Tirso!
)
