- 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
17 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. ginetensis in south Mexico (Chiapas/Oaxaca border region), sometimes included in chiapensis
- D. t. edwardsi in south Mexico (mountains of Chiapas adjacent to Oaxaca border), , sometimes included in chiapensis
- D. t. chiapensis in south Mexico (central Chiapas)
- D. t. moorei in south Mexico (mountains of central Chiapas), sometimes included in chiapensis
- D. t. dolichonyx in south Mexico (Sierra Madre del Sur of Chiapas)
- 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. calophonus in the Pacific Cordillera of Guatemala, sometimes included in dolichonyx
- D. t. salvadoranus in El Salvador (Volcán de San Miguel)
- D. t. taylori in El Salvador (Mount Cacaguatique region), sometimes included in salvadoranus
- D. t. fuscus in Honduras (Tegucigalpa region)
- D. t. rufescens in Honduras (San Juancito Mountains), sometimes included in fuscus
- 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, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://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 31 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Singing_Quail
