Why Our Button Quail Aren't Really Buttonquails
Quick look
- Our pet “button quail” are Chinese painted, king, or blue-breasted quail.
- They are genuine quail relatives in the order Galliformes.
- True buttonquails belong to the separate family Turnicidae.
- True buttonquails are part of the shorebird branch, not the quail branch.
- “Button quail” was used for Turnicidae by the mid-1800s.
- The name was later adopted by the North American pet and aviculture trade for our exceptionally small quail.
- No reliable source has yet identified the first breeder, catalog, or seller responsible for transferring the name.
- The clearest label is **Button Quail (Chinese Painted/King Quail), Synoicus chinensis.
If you keep the tiny birds Americans commonly call button quail, here is a surprising fact: they are real quail—but they are not true buttonquails.
That sounds like a contradiction. It makes sense once we follow two different groups of birds that ended up sharing one very confusing name.
The birds we know as “buttons”
Our little domestic birds are more formally known as Chinese painted quail, blue-breasted quail, or king quail. Their scientific name is currently written as Synoicus chinensis by some authorities and Excalfactoria chinensis by others. Older research often places them under Coturnix chinensis.
Although the genus has moved around, their broader identity is clear. They belong to Galliformes—the order containing chickens, pheasants, partridges, and other quail. In other words, the birds in our aviaries really are members of the quail side of the bird family tree.
They are simply not members of the group ornithologists properly call buttonquails.
So what is a true buttonquail?
True buttonquails belong to the family Turnicidae. Most are classified in the genus Turnix. They are small, round, ground-dwelling birds that resemble quail, but that resemblance led people astray for a long time.
Modern classification places buttonquails in Charadriiformes, the broad evolutionary branch that includes shorebirds. They are therefore much more distant from our Chinese painted quail than their appearance and name suggest.
The distinction also appears in their bodies and behavior. True buttonquails generally lack a hind toe and have three forward-pointing toes. In many Turnix species the female is larger or more brightly colored, courts multiple males, and leaves much of the incubation and chick care to them. Chinese painted quail have the more familiar galliform foot plan, and the wild-type male is the brilliantly marked sex.
How did the wrong name take hold?
The name “button quail” did not begin with our domestic Chinese painted quail. English-language records were already applying it to Turnicidae by the middle of the nineteenth century. Merriam-Webster dates its first known use to 1854.
Meanwhile, Chinese painted quail had their own established names. Captive breeding was reported at Amsterdam Zoo in 1842 and in France in 1873. “King quail” appeared in ornithological literature by at least 1911. The birds therefore did not need the button-quail name for scientific identification.
At some later point, the pet and aviculture trade—particularly in North America—began using “button quail” for Chinese painted quail. The exact first breeder, catalog, or advertisement responsible has not yet been identified. Claims that one particular person coined the nickname should be treated cautiously unless an early printed source can be produced.
The likely attraction is easy to understand. Chinese painted quail are remarkably small, plump birds. Their newly hatched chicks are frequently compared with bumblebees, and adults are much smaller than the Japanese quail familiar to many American keepers. “Button quail” is short, memorable, and commercially charming. Once hatcheries, pet shops, breeders, and care guides repeated it, the nickname became firmly rooted in American aviculture.
That explanation is plausible, but it remains an inference. We can document that the avicultural usage exists and that ornithological sources call it a misnomer; we cannot yet document the precise moment the name jumped from true buttonquails to Chinese painted quail.
Is it wrong to keep calling them button quail?
Not necessarily. Common names grow through use, and “button quail” now communicates effectively within the American hobby. Refusing to use it could create more confusion for keepers who have never encountered the names king quail or Chinese painted quail. The best solution is to pair the familiar name with the bird's clearer identity:
Button Quail (Chinese Painted/King Quail), Synoicus chinensis
That wording meets people where they are while preventing the nickname from masquerading as a precise taxonomic name. In scientific or research writing, Chinese painted quail or blue-breasted quail should be used with the scientific name. Historical scientific names should remain in search terms because much of the important research was published under Coturnix chinensis or Excalfactoria chinensis.
A tiny bird with a very large naming problem
Our “buttons” did not turn out to be impostors. They are actually closer to quail than the birds officially carrying the buttonquail name. The confusion is the product of resemblance, shifting classification, and a memorable hobby nickname that became more successful than the formal alternatives.
For keepers, this history is more than trivia. Correct identification helps us locate research, compare European and American breeding terminology, and avoid transferring genetics or husbandry claims between unrelated birds. It also gives us a better way to introduce these remarkable little quail: familiar enough to be called buttons, but with a natural history all their own.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are pet button quail real quail?
Yes. The birds commonly called button quail in American aviculture are genuine quail relatives belonging to Galliformes.What species are pet button quail?
They are Chinese painted, king, or blue-breasted quail. Their scientific name is commonly written as Synoicus chinensis or Excalfactoria chinensis.Why aren’t they considered true buttonquails?
“True buttonquail” refers to birds in the family Turnicidae. Those birds resemble quail but belong to a different evolutionary branch associated with shorebirds.How did Chinese painted quail get called button quail?
The American pet and aviculture trade apparently adopted the name because these birds are exceptionally small and round. The precise breeder, publication, or seller that started the usage has not been identified.Where did the name “buttonquail” originate?
English-language records used “button quail” for birds in the family Turnicidae by the mid-1800s—before the name was applied to Chinese painted quail in the American hobby.Are button quail and king quail the same bird?
In American aviculture, yes. Button quail, king quail, Chinese painted quail, and blue-breasted quail generally refer to the same species.Are button quail and Coturnix quail the same?
No. Hobby “button quail” are Synoicus chinensis. Coturnix or Japanese quail are Coturnix japonica. They are related but distinct species with different sizes, behaviors, color terminology, and genetics.Why does the scientific name change between sources?
The species has been classified as Coturnix chinensis, Excalfactoria chinensis, and Synoicus chinensis. Older names remain important when searching historical research.How can I distinguish our buttons from true buttonquails?
Chinese painted quail have four toes, including a hind toe. True buttonquails generally have three forward-pointing toes and no hind toe. Their reproductive behavior and sexual coloration also differ.Which sex is more colorful?
In wild-type Chinese painted quail, the male has the more colorful plumage. In many true buttonquail species, the female is larger or more brightly colored.Is it wrong to call them button quail?
It is taxonomically imprecise, but the name is firmly established in American aviculture. Pairing it with a clearer name prevents confusion.What name should breeders use?
A helpful public-facing label is Button Quail (Chinese Painted/King Quail), Synoicus chinensis. In research writing, use Chinese painted or blue-breasted quail and include the scientific name.Does this naming problem affect genetics research?
Yes. Searching only for “button quail genetics” can return information about unrelated Turnicidae or miss studies published under older scientific names. Research searches should include Synoicus chinensis, Excalfactoria chinensis, and Coturnix chinensis.Can Japanese quail color genetics be applied to button quail?
Not automatically. Similar colors may be produced by different genes. Japanese-quail findings should only be applied when research specifically demonstrates the same variant or inheritance pattern in Chinese painted quail.