Spot-winged Wood-Quail
Odontophorus capueira
Plump, terrestrial partridge-like bird with a short stout bill, red eye, chestnut crown, orange eyebrow, gray throat and belly, and mottled brown back. Usually encountered in small groups scampering across the ground in lowland Atlantic Forest. Song is a loud, fast, and repetitive “kloh-kloh-klohkloh.”
Identification
Male and female spot-winged wood quails are similar in appearance but the female is slightly smaller. The bird has a reddish-brown crown with a loose crest, speckled with buff. The supercilium (stripe above the eye) and the chest-band are reddish-cinnamon. The upper parts are greyish-brown, with dark vermiculations and speckling, with the individual feathers on neck, mantle, back and scapulars having white streaks beside the shaft. The sides of the head, throat and underparts are slatey-grey. The legs are dark grey, the bill is blackish, the iris brown and the bare area around the eyes red. The length range is about 26 to 30 cm (10 to 12 in). Juveniles are similar in colouring but have reddish bills, more speckled upper parts and grey underparts flushed with rust and speckled with white.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Odontophorus capueira
- Authority
- (Spix, 1825)
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Odontophoridae
- Genus
- Odontophorus
Range and habitat
The spot-winged wood quail is native to eastern and southeastern Brazil, the extreme northeastern part of Argentina and the eastern part of Paraguay. It inhabits dry lowland forest, including secondary forest, at altitudes not exceeding 1,600 m (5,200 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Spot-winged wood quails tend to move around on the ground by day in small groups of typically six to eight, but sometimes up to fifteen. When disturbed they move off into the undergrowth and seldom take to the wing, especially when the group includes chicks. The birds sometimes freeze and crouch. The diet includes fallen nuts of Araucaria and other trees, the berries of pokeweed and other plants and probably invertebrates. At night these birds roost well off the ground in trees. They are monogamous and breeding takes place between August and November. The nest is built on the ground with a side entrance and a roof of dead leaves. About four white eggs are laid which soon become discoloured. The female incubates the clutch, which hatch after about eighteen days, and she also rears the chicks without help.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Stout Cisticola
Cisticola robustus
Large and relatively colorful cisticola with a rufous cap and back of the neck, and a black-streaked back. Found in lush grassland habitat. The song consists of chirping introductory notes followed by a long buzz. As with other cisticolas, habitat and vocalizations are important to identification. Very similar to Aberdare Cisticola, but lacks streaking on the back of the neck. Fairly similar to Croaking Cisticola, but has rufous on the head.
Dusky-headed Brushfinch
Atlapetes fuscoolivaceus
This Colombian endemic has a limited range in the southern Andes, where it can be found in both the eastern and central cordilleras. It has dark upperparts, yellow underparts, and a distinctive black mustache stripe. Young birds are paler on the head and may show indistinct streaking below. The lack of any crown stripe or crown patch helps separate it from juveniles of other brushfinches, which otherwise can look similar. Inhabits tangles in clearings and at edge of cloud forest, but generally avoids forest interior. Vocalizations include a short series of chips and clear whistles and a fast, descending chatter.
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