Buttonquail or
hemipodes are members of a small family of
birds,
Turnicidae, which resemble, but are unrelated to, the
quails of
Phasianidae. They inhabit warm grasslands in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Australia. There are 16 species in two genera, with most species being found in the genus
Turnix and only one being found in the genus
Ortyxelos.