The family Turnicidae, commonly known as buttonquails, belongs to the order Charadriiformes. These are small, ground-dwelling birds found across Africa, Asia, and Australia, often inhabiting grasslands, scrub, and open forests. Buttonquails resemble true quails in appearance but are not closely related, exhibiting unique behavioral traits such as a reversed sex-role system, where females are more brightly colored and actively court males. They feed mainly on seeds and insects, foraging by running and scratching the ground rather than flying. Despite their elusive nature, they play an important role in their ecosystems as seed dispersers and insect predators.