Worcesters buttonquail (Turnix worcesteri) is found only in the Philippines at higher elevations in grasslands on Luzon. This less than 5 inch bird can be recognized by its reddish orange breast. The head, back of the neck, wings, and tail are brown marked with some paler markings. Sometimes a pale white area can be seen on the lower breast.

There are no subspecies.

The button quail genus (Turnix) contains 15 species. However, many of the species contain quite a few subspecies. These are small quail like birds found in the Old World. In the western Old World they are found from Spain south through Africa. In the eastern Old World they are found from India and China south to New Guinea, Australia, and the Solomon Islands. These are small birds normally about 5 to 8 inches in length. An unusual feature of this genus is the lack of a rear toe. Although these birds can fly, they normally escape problems by running through the undercover of vegetation in fields.

The buttonquail family contains about 17 species. This family is found in the Old World from Africa east into Asia and south to Australia. There are 16 species in the genus Turnix, and one African species in the genus Ortyxelos.

The buttonquail order contains but a single family. This order is found in the Old World from Africa east into Asia and south to Australia. Clements shows 16 species in the family. 15 species are in the genus Turnix, and one species is in the genus Ortyxelos.

In earlier books an unusual Australian species was placed in this order. However, the plains wanderer, Pedionomus torquatus, is now placed in its own family, Pedionomidae, in the shorebird order with the gulls and terns.

Aves contains about 8,650 different species of living birds known to science. Each year about one new species is discovered in some remote rain forest or remote island. In addition, scientists have been raising many subspecies to full species status which may raise the species count to 10,000. Birdlife recognizes 10,027 species as of 2011.

However, each year about one species goes extinct. The rate of extinction is increasing, and the rate of new discovery is decreasing, so that the number of bird species will soon begin to decline rapidly. Although different taxonomists would organize the birds differently, there are approximately twenty-seven orders of birds. These orders are broken down into about one hundred and fifty-five different families.

Recent research of the genetic structure of some of the shore birds and owls would indicate that the present organization of orders and families should have some modification.

The birds are a worldwide group of animals that are characterized by having the front limbs modified into wings that are used for flying. Perhaps the most unique feature of the birds is the feathers. These feathers are made up of a central support called a quill and a series of small filaments that are hooked together as barbs.

For many years it was believed that Archaeopteryx discovered in Bavaria was the oldest bird from about 150 million years ago. However, in l986, Sankar Chattterjee, a Texas paleontologist, reportedly discovered a bird in the genus Protoavis that lived about 225 million years ago.

When this project was begun in 1978, we used Austin & Singer for bird taxonomy. Since then, we have adopted many changes, but have kept some older concepts that are still found widely in the literature. Recently, we have used Clements and Howard & Moore. Very recently, we have used Monroe and Sibley for the higher taxonomy of the perching birds.

Backboned Animals (Phylum Chordata) are the most advanced group of animals on earth. These animals are characterized by having a spinal cord or backbone. Most members have a clearly defined brain that controls the organism through a spinal cord. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are in this phylum.

Currently, some taxonomists believe that the fish should be divided into two groups (sharks and regular fishes) and that there are some other primitive groups in the phylum such as hagfish or lampreys.

Animal Kingdom contains numerous organisms that feed on other animals or plants. Included in the animal kingdom are the lower marine invertebrates such as sponges and corals, the jointed legged animals such as insects and spiders, and the backboned animals such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

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