Black-breasted wood quail

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Black-breasted wood quail
Odontophorus leucolaemus 59474725.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Odontophoridae
Genus: Odontophorus
Species:
O. leucolaemus
Binomial name
Odontophorus leucolaemus
Salvin, 1867
Odontophorus leucolaemus map.svg

The black-breasted wood quail (Odontophorus leucolaemus) is a bird species in the family Odontophoridae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.

Contents

Taxonomy

The black-breasted wood quail is one of 15 species in the genus Odontophorus . Within the genus, it is a part of the dusky wood quail species complex, and is sometimes considered to be conspecific with the Venezuelan wood quail, gorgeted wood quail, Tacarcuna wood quail, and the black-fronted wood quail. [2]

The generic name Odontophorus is from the Greek odontophoros, meaning tooth-bearing. The specific epithet leucolaemus is from the Greek leukos, meaning white, and laimos, meaning throat. [3] Alternative names for the species include white-throated wood quail. [2]

The species is monotypic. [4] Populations around Dota in Costa Rica have sometimes been split as a distinct subspecies, O. l. smithianus on the basis of differences in plumage, but they are generally considered a melanistic morph. [2]

Description

In Costa Rica Odontophorus leucolaemus 31365857.jpg
In Costa Rica

The black-breasted wood quail is a medium-sized species of New World quail, being 22–25.5 cm (8.7–10.0 in) in length and weighing on average 286 g (10.1 oz) for females and 300 g (11 oz) for males. Although males are larger than females, the sexes are otherwise similar and can not visually be distinguished. [5]

Distribution and habitat

The black-breasted wood quail is found in Costa Rica and Panama. However, it has not been recorded from Panama since 1933, and may be extirpated from there. [2]

Behaviour and ecology

Like other Odontophorus species, the black-breasted wood quail is gregarious year-round and usually travels in coveys of 10-15 individuals in undergrowth on forested slopes. These feed together over small areas throughout the day, and come together at dusk to roost in low branches. They also defend group territories together by calling back and forth with neighboring coveys, most often just after dawn, and displaying aggressively at the boundaries of their territories. Unlike other species in the genus, they do not vocalize at dusk. [5] The species is shy and walks away in the undergrowth when approached, only flushing reluctantly. [2]

Little is known about its diet. However, it may feed on plant matter, supplementing its diet with insects.

The black-breasted wood quail's breeding habits are poorly known, but the species is most likely monogamous. Cooperative breeding has also been recorded in the species. Nesting occurs at the start of the rainy season in May and June, but vocal activity is most intense from March-April. Nests are round hollows in leaf litter, with their entrances pointing slightly downwards, and are guarded by parties of adults. Eggs are laid in clutches of 4-6 eggs, and are white in color, eventually staining brown. Incubation takes 16-17 days. [2] [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quail</span> Index of animals with the same common name

Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes. The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey, or bevy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jungle bush quail</span> Species of bird from the Indian subcontinent

The jungle bush quail is a species of quail in the family Phasianidae. It is native to the Indian subcontinent, where it is found in peninsular India and Sri Lanka. It has also been reported from Nepal but has not been seen there since the 19th century, and an introduced population exists on the island of Réunion. A small species of quail 15–18 cm (5.9–7.1 in) long and weighing 57–82 g (2.0–2.9 oz), it shows significant sexual dimorphism. Males have brown upperparts with blackish and buff marking and whitish underparts with black barring. The face is mainly dark reddish-brown, with brown ear-coverts, a buffy-white moustachial stripe, and the supercilium turning whitish towards the back of the neck. Females have a similar pattern, but with pinkish-brown underparts, more uniform wings, and duller moustachial stripes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spotted wood quail</span> Species of bird

The spotted wood quail 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver-throated tanager</span> Species of bird from South America

The silver-throated tanager is a species of passerine bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is found in Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, and northeastern Peru. It inhabits mossy forests, montane evergreen forests, tropical lowland evergreen forests and forest edges, along with tall secondary forests and disturbed habitat with remnant trees and forest. It is 13 centimetres (5.1 in) long and weighs 22 grams (0.78 oz) on average, and shows slight sexual dimorphism, with duller female plumage. Adult males are mainly bright yellow, with a silvery-white throat bordered above with a black stripe on the cheeks, black streaking on the back, and green edges to the wings and tail. Juveniles are duller and greener.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Streak-breasted treehunter</span> Species of bird

The streak-breasted treehunter is a passerine bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stripe-faced wood quail</span> Species of bird

The stripe-faced wood quail is a species of New World quail. It is found in Bolivia and Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffy-crowned wood partridge</span> Species of bird

The buffy-crowned wood partridge is a bird species in the family Odontophoridae, the New World quail. It is found in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-fronted wood quail</span> Species of bird

The black-fronted wood quail is a bird species in the family Odontophoridae, the New World quail. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tacarcuna wood quail</span> Species of bird

The Tacarcuna wood quail is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae, the New World quail. It is found in Colombia and Panama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous-fronted wood quail</span> Species of bird

The rufous-fronted wood quail is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae, the New World quail. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marbled wood quail</span> Species of bird

The marbled wood quail, also known as the Amazonian wood quail, is a species of bird in the New World quail family. It has an extensive distribution in Central America and the northern part of South America. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dark-backed wood quail</span> Species of bird

The dark-backed wood quail is a bird species in the family Odontophoridae, which is the New World quail. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-eared wood quail</span> Species of bird

The black-eared wood quail is a bird species in the order Galliformes. Until recently, the species was thought to be part of the family Phasianidae however DNA-DNA hybridization results determined that black-eared wood quail are only distantly related to Old World quail. As a result, black-eared wood quail have been placed in the family Odontophoridae and more specifically, in the category of wood quail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starred wood quail</span> Species of bird

The starred wood quail is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae. It is found in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests of Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tawny-faced quail</span> Species of bird

The tawny-faced quail is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae, the New World quail. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Violaceous quail-dove</span> Species of bird

The violaceous quail-dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ocellated antbird</span> Species of bird

The ocellated antbird is a species of antbird in the family Thamnophilidae. It is monotypic within the genus Phaenostictus and is found in southern Central America and the northwestern part of South America. Its natural habitat is the understory of tropical moist lowland forest, foothill forest, and tall secondary growth woodlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emerald tanager</span> Species of bird from South America

The emerald tanager is a species of bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama. Described by the English ornithologists PL Sclater and Osbert Salvin in 1869, it is a medium-sized species that has a length of 10.6–13 cm (4.2–5.1 in) and a mass of 18–20.5 g (0.63–0.72 oz). It can be identified by its bright green plumage, with black streaking on the back and wings, and a black auricular patch and beak. It also has yellow on the crown and rump. The species shows slight sexual dimorphism, with the females being duller and having yellow-green in place of yellow on the head.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous-winged woodpecker</span> Species of bird

The rufous-winged woodpecker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wood quail</span> Genus of birds

The wood quails are birds in the genus Odontophorus of the New World quail family, which are residents in forests in the Americas. The core range of the genus is centered in the lowlands and foothills of the northern Andes of Colombia and the mountain ranges of Central America; however, some species occur elsewhere in tropical and subtropical South America.

References

  1. BirdLife International (2016). "Odontophorus leucolaemus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22679688A92824726. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22679688A92824726.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Madge, Steve; Phil, MacGowan (2010). Pheasants, Partridges, and Grouse: Including buttonquails, sandgrouse, and allies. London, United Kingdom: Christopher Helm. pp. 409–410. ISBN   978-1-4081-3565-5.
  3. Jobling, James A. (2010). Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. Christopher Helm. pp. 224, 280. ISBN   978-1-4081-3326-2.
  4. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2023). "Megapodes, guans, guineafowl, New World quail". IOC World Bird List Version 13.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Hale, Amanda M. (2006-02-01). "Group Living in the Black-Breasted Wood-Quail and the Use of Playbacks as a Survey Technique". The Condor. 108 (1): 107–119. doi: 10.1093/condor/108.1.107 . ISSN   0010-5422.