- Dactylortyx thoracicus
Identification
20-23 cm. A small, short-tailed bird, unlikely to be confused with other species in its habitat.
- Grey and brown plumage with white streaks, birds from montane forests darker than those from more arid areas
- Dark brown crown
- Buff collar with black spots
- Tawny orange supercilium, chin, sides of neck and throat
- Black streak extending from back of eye to collar
- Mottled grey and brown back and wings, with white shaft streaks
- Olive-brown or grey rump with black vermiculations
- Greyish brown breast and belly with white streaks, white lower belly
Females similar but grey on head sides fading to white on throat, paler brown on breast and flanks. Juveniles similar to females but with blackish spotting on underparts and more cinnamon-buff on side of head.
Distribution
Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.
Locally common in many parts of range. Seems to be more capable of withstanding habitat destruction and fragmentation than other quails in the area.
Taxonomy
11 subspecies recongized:
- D. t. pettingilli in east Mexico (southwest Tamaulipas and southeast San Luis Potosí)
- D. t. thoracicus in east Mexico (northeast Puebla and central Veracruz)
- D. t. devius in west Mexico (Jalisco)
- D. t. melodus in west Mexico (central Guerrero)
- D. t. chiapensis in south Mexico, from southeastern Oaxaca east to central Chiapas
- D. t. dolichonyx in southern Mexico (Sierra Madre del Sur of Chiapas) and western Guatemala
- D. t. sharpei in Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo to Petén of Guatemala
- D. t. paynteri in south Mexico (south-central Quintana Roo)
- D. t. salvadoranus in El Salvador (Volcán de San Miguel and Mount Cacaguatique region)
- D. t. fuscus in central Honduras (Francisco Morazán highlands of Tegucigalpa Department)
- D. t. conoveri in Honduras (Department of Olancho)
Habitat
Habitat varies depending on population. Found in subtropical montane and cloud forest (1000 - 3000 m), deciduous scrub at lower elevations, oak and sweet gum forest and coffee plantations.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on seeds and small bulbs. Takes also insects and probably coffee beans.
Forages on the ground, scratching in forest litter and soil with its strong feet and long claws. Usually in groups of 3 to 5 birds, sometimes up to 12. Runs in zigzags rather than fly when stressed.
Breeding
Breeding season from February to October. A monogamous species. Usually two to five youngs.
Movements
A sedentary species.
Reference
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2015. IOC World Bird Names (version 5.2). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved June 2015)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Singing Quail. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 16 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Singing_Quail
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
