Black-throated Bobwhite
Colinus nigrogularis
Fairly common in brushy fields and coastal scrub of Yucatan Peninsula region, where 'bob-WHITE!' song sounds just like that of other bobwhites. Usually found in groups or pairs, sometimes not far from villages or other human habitation; best seen on quiet roads and trails. Like most quail, flushes explosively from close range with excited calling, and perches readily up in trees when flushed. The only quail of open habitats in most of its range; compare Singing Quail, which occurs inside tropical forest.
Identification
The male and female Yucatan bobwhite differ in appearance. They are compact, ground-dwelling birds about 20 centimetres (8 in) in length. The male has a black throat edged with white, a white forehead, a black eyestripe and a black crown. The upper neck, mantle and flanks are reddish-brown liberally speckled with white. The rest of the upper parts are brownish, barred withreddish-brown and grey. The underparts have a scalloped appearance as the white feathers are edged with black. The lower belly and under-tail coverts are cinnamon. The female is similar in appearance but the hind neck and mantle are black with paler speckling, the throat is buff and the breast and belly are white barred with reddish-brown and black.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Colinus nigrogularis
- Authority
- (Gould, 1843)
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Odontophoridae
- Genus
- Colinus
Range and habitat
The Yucatan bobwhite is native to Central America where its range extends from the Yucatan Peninsula southwards to Honduras and Nicaragua. Its typical habitat is clearings in forests, pine savannah, rough grassland, weedy fields and plantations of henequen (Agave fourcroydes).
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Rufous-winged Illadopsis
Illadopsis rufescens
A mid-sized, chunky, drably colored babbler. Has a white throat and pale gray underparts, often with some darker olive-brown on the breast. Found in the understory of rainforest at low and middle elevations, usually in pairs. Shy and skulking, and rarely seen unless searched for. Similar to other illadopsises, and best located and distinguished by voice. Visually most similar to Puvel’s Illadopsis, but found in different habitat, slightly smaller, and grayer, less buffy, on the underparts. Paler below than Brown or Pale-breasted Illadopsises. Most often detected by distinctive voice: a series of several whistles in an up then down pattern that is weirdly reminiscent of trying to start a car.
Violet Woodhoopoe
Phoeniculus damarensis
An elongated black bird with a coppery-purple metallic sheen and a long, decurved red-orange bill. The juvenile has a dark bill, but is often in the company of adults. The species flies heavily with the white-tipped tail dangling. Pairs and groups of 3-12 are highly social, occupying arid savanna, woodland, and riverine forest along the Namib escarpment, where they nest and roost in natural cavities. They clamber in trees, probing bark and crevices for insects and small vertebrates, and communicate using a strong cackling chatter that is almost maniacal. The almost identical Green Woodhoopoe (with which this species sometimes hybridizes) only differs from Violet Woodhoopoe by having a glossy-greenish (not coppery-purple) metallic sheen.
Abert's Towhee
Melozone aberti
Large, plain, long-tailed sparrow. Drab grayish-brown overall, with dark mask like a Northern Cardinal. Also note pinkish bill and orange undertail coverts. Inhabits riparian corridors, especially in dense brush. Mainly occurs in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, barely extending into surrounding states and northern Mexico. Rather secretive as it forages on the ground for seeds and insects. Visits feeders.
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