Chestnut Wood-Quail
Odontophorus hyperythrus
This chickenlike bird is bright rufous on the face and underparts and brown above. Female similar to male but rufous more restricted to the upper breast with contrasting gray belly. Also note slight crest, stout bill, and some bare gray skin around the eye. Uncommon in cloud forest of western Colombia. Shy and difficult to see; stays in small groups on the forest floor and rarely comes out in the open. Listen for rollicking whistled song, similar to other wood-quail.
Identification
The chestnut wood quail is 25 to 29 cm (9.8 to 11.4 in) long. Males weigh 325 to 380 g (11.5 to 13.4 oz) and females 325 to 330 g (11.5 to 11.6 oz). Both sexes have grayish white feathers around the eye, with the female's more extensive. Adult males have a chestnut head and brown back, rump, and wings. The rump has fine black vermiculation. The throat and undersides are rufous. The adult female's crown is dusky brown and its breast and belly are dark gray. The juvenile is similar to the adult female.
Taxonomy
The chestnut wood quail has at various times been proposed or considered as conspecific with rufous-fronted wood quail (Odonophorus erythrops), dark-backed wood quail (O. melanonotus), and rufous-breasted wood quail (O. speciosus). It is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Odontophorus hyperythrus
- Authority
- Gould, 1858
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Odontophoridae
- Genus
- Odontophorus
Range and habitat
The chestnut wood quail is found mostly in the western and central Andes of Colombia and locally in the eastern Andes. In elevation it ranges from 1,600 to 2,800 m (5,200 to 9,200 ft). It inhabits the interior and edges of subtropical montane forest, both primary and secondary. It is primarily terrestrial but has been seen roosting as high as 10 m (33 ft) above ground.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The chestnut wood quail forages by scratching in leaf litter for roots, seeds, fallen berries, and probably also insects.<p>The chesnut wood quail appears to have two nesting seasons that correspond to the wettest part of the year, March to May and October to December. Nests are domed globes on the ground made of leaves and twigs with a short tunnel entrance. The clutch size is four or five and the female alone incubates the eggs. Family groups stay together for many months after hatching.<p>The chestnut wood quail's advertising call is "a rollicking, rapidly repeated duet, 'orrit-kilyit...'". It also has an alarm call, "a low 'peetit, peetit...'".
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Mishana Tyrannulet
Zimmerius villarejoi
Uncommon flycatcher with a highly restricted range in northern Peru. It is known from white sand forest near Iquitos and from Andean foothills in the vicinity of the cities of Moyobamba and Tarapoto. Plumage is mostly yellowish-olive with a pale bill and eye and yellow fringes to the wing feathers. Very similar to Red-billed Tyrannulet, but usually shows an olive (not gray) crown; voice is a more reliable way to separate the two species. Listen for a high, piping whistle given alone or in pairs. Calls have a rasping quality in the lowland part of the range. Inhabits forest canopy.
Elegant Imperial-Pigeon
Ducula concinna
A large pigeon of small islands. Shows a conspicuous pale yellow eye, a pale gray head and underparts, a chestnut vent, and a green back, wings, and uppertail. Found in flocks within the upper levels of forest edges, wooded areas, and plantations. The beady yellow eye is unique for a green pigeon in its range. Further differs from Spectacled Imperial-Pigeon in lacking spectacles and in having a red base to the undertail. Calls include “kuk” notes, a purring “woo-ooo,” a higher-pitched “waaa-aaa,” and growling sounds.
Rufescent Imperial-Pigeon
Ducula chalconota
A fairly large pigeon of montane forest interior. Green rump, pale orange chest, deep rufous belly and black band in the tail. Forages for fruit, singly or in pairs in the upper or mid-canopy. Similar to Purple-tailed Imperial-Pigeon but Rufescent occurs at higher elevations and has more extensive gray on the sides of the neck. Papuan Mountain-Pigeon more likely to co-occur but Rufescent lacks the white chest and has green rather than grey back. Not very vocal. Call a mournful downslurred “wooo”.
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