New World quail
Encyclopedia
The New World quails or Odontophorids are small birds only distantly related to the Old World Quail
s, but named for their similar appearance and habits. The American
species
are in their own family Odontophoridae, whereas Old World Quail
are in the pheasant
family Phasianidae
. The family ranges from Canada through to southern Brazil
, and two species, the California Quail
and the Bobwhite Quail
, have been successfully introduced
to New Zealand
. A variety of habitats are used by the family from tropical rainforest to deserts, although few species are capable of surviving at very low temperatures. There are 32 species in nine genera
.
New World quails are generally short winged, necked and tailed (although the genus Dendrortyx
is long-tailed). The bills
are short, slightly curved and serrated. The legs are short and powerful, and lack the spurs of many Old World galliforms. Although they are capable of short bursts of strong flight New World quails prefer to walk, and will run from danger (or hide), taking off explosively only as a last resort. Plumage
varies from dull to spectacular, and many species have ornamental crests or plumes on the head. There is moderate sexual dichromisim
in plumage, with males having brighter plumage.
The New World quails are shy diurnal birds and generally live on the ground; even the tree quails which roost in high trees generally feed mainly on the ground. They are generalists with regards to their diet, taking insects, seeds, vegetation and tubers. Desert living species in particular take a lot of seeds.
Most of the information about the breeding biology of New World quails comes from North American species, which have been better studied than those of the Neotropics. The family is generally thought to be monogamous
, and nest are constructed on the ground. Clutch sizes are large, a situation typical within the Galliformes, ranging from 3–6 eggs for the tree quails and wood quails, and as high as 10-15 for the Northern Bobwhite. Incubation
takes between 16-30 days depending on the species. Chicks are precocial
and quickly leave the nest to accompany the parents in large family groups.
Northern Bobwhites and California Quail are popular gamebirds with many taken by hunters, but these species have also had their ranges increased in order to meet hunting demand and are not threatened. They are also artificially stocked. Some species are threatened by human activity, such as the Bearded Tree Quail of Mexico, which is threatened by habitat loss and illegal hunting.
Old World quail
Old World quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds in the pheasant family Phasianidae. New World quail are also found in the Galliformes, but are not in the same family . Buttonquails are not closely related at all, but are named for their similar appearance...
s, but named for their similar appearance and habits. The American
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
are in their own family Odontophoridae, whereas Old World Quail
Old World quail
Old World quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds in the pheasant family Phasianidae. New World quail are also found in the Galliformes, but are not in the same family . Buttonquails are not closely related at all, but are named for their similar appearance...
are in the pheasant
Pheasant
Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
family Phasianidae
Phasianidae
The Phasianidae is a family of birds which consists of the pheasants and partridges, including the junglefowl , Old World Quail, francolins, monals and peafowl. The family is a large one, and is occasionally broken up into two subfamilies, the Phasianinae, and the Perdicinae...
. The family ranges from Canada through to southern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and two species, the California Quail
California Quail
The California Quail, Callipepla californica, also known as the California Valley Quail or Valley Quail, is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family...
and the Bobwhite Quail
Bobwhite Quail
The Northern Bobwhite, Virginia Quail or Bobwhite Quail is a ground-dwelling bird native to the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean...
, have been successfully introduced
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. A variety of habitats are used by the family from tropical rainforest to deserts, although few species are capable of surviving at very low temperatures. There are 32 species in nine genera
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
.
New World quails are generally short winged, necked and tailed (although the genus Dendrortyx
Dendrortyx
Dendrortyx is a genus of bird in the Odontophoridae family. It contains the following species:* Bearded Wood Partridge * Buffy-crowned Wood Partridge...
is long-tailed). The bills
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
are short, slightly curved and serrated. The legs are short and powerful, and lack the spurs of many Old World galliforms. Although they are capable of short bursts of strong flight New World quails prefer to walk, and will run from danger (or hide), taking off explosively only as a last resort. Plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
varies from dull to spectacular, and many species have ornamental crests or plumes on the head. There is moderate sexual dichromisim
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
in plumage, with males having brighter plumage.
The New World quails are shy diurnal birds and generally live on the ground; even the tree quails which roost in high trees generally feed mainly on the ground. They are generalists with regards to their diet, taking insects, seeds, vegetation and tubers. Desert living species in particular take a lot of seeds.
Most of the information about the breeding biology of New World quails comes from North American species, which have been better studied than those of the Neotropics. The family is generally thought to be monogamous
Monogamy
Monogamy /Gr. μονός+γάμος - one+marriage/ a form of marriage in which an individual has only one spouse at any one time. In current usage monogamy often refers to having one sexual partner irrespective of marriage or reproduction...
, and nest are constructed on the ground. Clutch sizes are large, a situation typical within the Galliformes, ranging from 3–6 eggs for the tree quails and wood quails, and as high as 10-15 for the Northern Bobwhite. Incubation
Avian incubation
Incubation refers to the process by which certain oviparous animals hatch their eggs, and to the development of the embryo within the egg. The most vital factor of incubation is the constant temperature required for its development over a specific period. Especially in domestic fowl, the act of...
takes between 16-30 days depending on the species. Chicks are precocial
Precocial
In biology, the term precocial refers to species in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. The opposite developmental strategy is called "altricial," where the young are born or hatched helpless. Extremely precocial species may be called...
and quickly leave the nest to accompany the parents in large family groups.
Northern Bobwhites and California Quail are popular gamebirds with many taken by hunters, but these species have also had their ranges increased in order to meet hunting demand and are not threatened. They are also artificially stocked. Some species are threatened by human activity, such as the Bearded Tree Quail of Mexico, which is threatened by habitat loss and illegal hunting.
Species
Family Odontophoridae- Genus DendrortyxDendrortyxDendrortyx is a genus of bird in the Odontophoridae family. It contains the following species:* Bearded Wood Partridge * Buffy-crowned Wood Partridge...
- Bearded Wood Partridge, Dendrortyx barbatus
- Long-tailed Wood Partridge, Dendrortyx macroura
- Buffy-crowned Wood Partridge, Dendrortyx leucophrys
- Genus Oreortyx
- Mountain QuailMountain QuailThe Mountain Quail, , is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. This species is the only one in the genus Oreortyx, which is sometimes included in Callipepla...
, Oreortyx pictus
- Mountain Quail
- Genus CallipeplaCallipeplaCallipepla is a genus of birds in the New World quail family, Odontophoridae.-Species:* Callipepla californica – California Quail* Callipepla douglasii – Elegant Quail...
- Scaled QuailScaled QuailThe Scaled Quail , also commonly called Blue Quail or cottontop, is a species of the New World quail family. It is a bluish gray bird found in the arid regions of the Southwestern United States to Central Mexico...
, (commonly called Blue Quail) Callipepla squamata - Elegant QuailElegant QuailThe Elegant Quail is a species of New World Quail endemic to Pacific-slope thornforest of northwestern Mexico, from southern Sonora to Nayarit.-References:* BirdLife International, 2011. . Accessed on July 16, 2011....
, Callipepla douglasii - California QuailCalifornia QuailThe California Quail, Callipepla californica, also known as the California Valley Quail or Valley Quail, is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family...
, Callipepla californica - Gambel's QuailGambel's QuailThe Gambel's Quail, Callipepla gambelii, is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. It inhabits the desert regions of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Texas, and Sonora; also New Mexico-border Chihuahua and the Colorado River region of Baja California...
, Callipepla gambelii
- Scaled Quail
- Genus Philortyx
- Banded QuailBanded QuailThe Banded Quail is a species of bird in the Odontophoridae family. It is found only in Mexico.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, and heavily degraded former forest.-References:*...
, Philortyx fasciatus
- Banded Quail
- Genus ColinusColinusColinus is a genus of birds in the New World quail family, Odontophoridae. Members of the genus are commonly known as bobwhites.-Species:* Colinus cristatus – Crested Bobwhite...
- Northern BobwhiteBobwhite QuailThe Northern Bobwhite, Virginia Quail or Bobwhite Quail is a ground-dwelling bird native to the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean...
, Colinus virginianus - Black-throated BobwhiteBlack-throated BobwhiteThe Yucatan Bobwhite or Black-throated Bobwhite is a species of bird in the Odontophoridae family.It is found in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua....
, Colinus nigrogularis - Spot-bellied BobwhiteSpot-bellied BobwhiteThe Spot-bellied Bobwhite, Colinus leucopogon, is a ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. It is sometimes considered to be conspecific with the Crested Bobwhite, Colinus cristatus...
, Colinus leucopogon - Crested BobwhiteCrested BobwhiteThe Crested Bobwhite is a species of bird in the Odontophoridae family.It is found in northern South America, extending through Panama to just reach Costa Rica...
, Colinus cristatus
- Northern Bobwhite
- Genus Odontophorus
- 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
- Venezuelan Wood Quail, Odontophorus columbianus
- Black-breasted Wood Quail, Odontophorus leucolaemus
- Stripe-faced Wood QuailStripe-faced Wood QuailThe Stripe-faced Wood Quail, Odontophorus balliviani, is a species of New World Quail found in the Yungas of southern Peru and Bolivia. It is about 27 cm in length and weighs approximately 0.325 kg.The binomial of this bird commemorates José Ballivián....
, Odontophorus balliviani - Starred Wood Quail, Odontophorus stellatus
- Spotted Wood Quail, Odontophorus guttatus
- Genus Dactylortyx
- Singing QuailSinging QuailThe Singing Quail is a species of bird in the Odontophoridae family.It is found in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico....
, Dactylortyx thoracicus
- Singing Quail
- Genus CyrtonyxCyrtonyxCyrtonyx is a genus of bird in the Odontophoridae family.It contains the following species:* Montezuma Quail, * Ocellated Quail...
- Montezuma QuailMontezuma QuailThe Montezuma Quail is a stubby, secretive New World quail of Mexico and some nearby parts of the United States. It is also known as Mearns's Quail, the Harlequin Quail , and the Fool Quail .-Description:At about 22 cm , it is one of the shortest quails of North America, although it weighs 180 g...
, Cyrtonyx montezumae - Ocellated QuailOcellated QuailThe Ocellated Quail is a species of bird in the Odontophoridae family.It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua....
, Cyrtonyx ocellatus
- Montezuma Quail
- Genus Rhynchortyx
- Tawny-faced QuailTawny-faced QuailThe Tawny-faced Quail is a species of bird in the Odontophoridae family, and the only species in its genus Rhynchortyx.It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama...
, Rhynchortyx cinctus
- Tawny-faced Quail
External links
- gbwf.org - Quail, Aviculture & Conservation
- New World quail videos on the Internet Bird Collection