Wood Quail
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The Wood-quails are birds in the genus Odontophorus of the New World quail family, which occur as resident breeding species in New World tropical cloud- and rainforests. The core range of the genus is centred on the lowlands and foothills of the northern Andes of Colombia and the mountain ranges of Central America; however, some species occur elsewhere in tropical South America.
These are species of dense understory thickets or bamboos, and as a consequence are amongst the most difficult Galliform birds to study or even observe. The best chance of seeing wood-quail is at dawn or dusk, when they may feed at the side of a road or on a forest track in family groups of up to 12 birds.
Description:
Wood-quails are 22-30 cm long dumpy, short-tailed, stout-billed partridge-like birds with a bushy crest. The upperparts are dark brown, and the underparts are lighter brown, grey or rufous. Some species have striking black and white throat or facial markings. The sexes are similar, but the female often has a duller-colored crest. The advertising calls are loud and distinctive duets consisting of repeated phrases, and are often the only indication that wood-quail are present.
For most wood-quail, information has mainly come from specimens, and breeding behaviour and habits are little known. The majority of species, including the relatively widespread Spotted Wood-Quail have never had the nest described.
Those species for which the feeding habits are known forage on the ground, scratching at the soil for seeds, fallen fruit and insects. Wood-quail are typically shy and wary; they will normally make good their escape on foot, but if startled will explode into a short fast flight into dense cover.
All wood-quail species have been adversely affected by hunting and, in particular, rampant deforestation. Several species with restricted ranges are now vulnerable, and some now have populations of less than 1000 birds.
Species list
- Marbled Wood Quail, Odontophorus gujanensis
- Spot-winged Wood Quail, Odontophorus capueira
- Black-eared Wood Quail, Odontophorus melanotis
- Rufous-fronted Wood Quail, Odontophorus erythrops
- Black-fronted Wood Quail, Odontophorus atrifrons
- Chestnut Wood Quail, Odontophorus hyperythrus
- Dark-backed Wood Quail, Odontophorus melanonotus
- Rufous-breasted Wood Quail, Odontophorus speciosus
- Tacarcuna Wood Quail, Odontophorus dialeucos
- Gorgeted Wood-Quail, Odontophorus strophium, is a small ground-dwelling bird, on the verge of extinction. This tiny member of the New World Quail Family has been sited in the larger oak forest remnants in the eastern Cordillera (Serrania de Yariguies and NorAndino Oak Forest Corridor) section of Colombia.
Its natural habit are humid subtropical and temperate forests that mave mainly oak and laurel trees. The bird has only been sited between the altitudes of 1,750-2,050 m, however it is believed that this tiny quail may have an elevational range of 1,500-2,500 m. It is probably dependent on primary forest for a part of its life-cycle, yet it has also been sited in degraded habitats and secondary forest.
It is a foraging bird that eats for fruit, seeds and arthropods.
The bird's breeding season seems to coincide with peaks in annual rainfall in March-May and September-November.
- Venezuelan Wood Quail, Odontophorus columbianus
- Black-breasted Wood Quail, Odontophorus leucolaemus
- Stripe-faced Wood Quail, Odontophorus balliviani
- Starred Wood Quail, Odontophorus stellatus
- Spotted Wood-Quail, Odontophorus guttatus, is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. It is a resident breeder in the mountains of Central America from southern Mexico to western Panama.
It occurs in highlands from 1000 m or higher up to the timberline, usually in dense understory thickets or bamboos. The nest, as with several other wood-quails remains undescribed, but the eggs are known to be creamy-white with brown spots.
The Spotted Wood-Quail is 25 cm long and weighs 300 g. It has an orange crest which is raised when it is excited. The upperparts are dark brown with black and rufous flecking. The underparts are normally olive brown, but there is a color morph with rufous underparts. In both cases, the underparts are boldly spotted with white. The forehead is dark brown and the cheeks and throat are black streaked with white.
The sexes are similar, but the male averages slightly larger and the female has a duller crest. Immature birds have smaller, more buff-tinted spotting, and the throat is dusky rather than black. There are no subspecies.
The advertising call of the Spotted Wood-Quail, actually a duet, is a clear whistled coowit CAWwit coowit COO, and the contact calls are clear chirps and peeps.
Spotted Wood-Quails are found in groups of 4-10; they forage on the ground, scratching at the soil for seeds, fallen fruit and insects. This is a shy and wary species, which will normally make its escape on foot, but if startled it will explode into a short fast flight into cover. The best chance of seeing this species is at dawn, when it may feed at the side of a road or on a forest track.
This species is reported as locally common in suitable habitat in Costa Rica and Panama, but has been adversely in much of its range by rampant deforestation.
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