Bearded wood partridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bearded wood partridge |
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| Illustration by John Gould & H. C. Richter | |
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Dendrortyx
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| Species: |
barbatus
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The bearded wood partridge (Dendrortyx barbatus) is a special kind of bird. It's part of the New World quail family, called Odontophoridae. You can find this bird living in the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains of Mexico.
Contents
What is a Bearded Wood Partridge?
How Scientists Group This Bird
Birds are grouped into families and smaller groups called genera (plural of genus). The bearded wood partridge belongs to the genus Dendrortyx. There are two other birds in this group. They are all quite different from each other. This partridge is also monotypic. This means it doesn't have any different subspecies or types within its own species.
What Does It Look Like?
How big is a bearded wood partridge? It is about 33 to 35.5 cm (13.0 to 14.0 in) long. That's about the length of a ruler! It weighs between 405 and 459 g (14.3 and 16.2 oz). This is about the weight of a can of soup.
Adult birds have bluish-gray cheeks, neck, and upper chest. They have a bright red patch around each eye. Their head top, called the crown, is a light yellowish-brown color. It also has a small crest, like a little tuft of feathers. The back of their neck and chest are cinnamon-colored. They have red stripes on the back of their neck and on the sides of their chest. The feathers on their back are a mix of light brown, dark brown, and gray.
Younger birds look a lot like the adults. However, their chest colors are not as bright. They also have brown stripes on their sides.
Where Does It Live?
The bearded wood partridge lives in the central part of Mexico's Sierra Madre Oriental mountains. Its home range is not continuous. This means there are gaps in where it lives. The Santo Domingo River and the western side of the Sierra Madre Oriental act like natural borders.
This bird likes to live inside and at the edges of humid forests. These can be evergreen montane forests or pine-oak forests. It lives in both old, natural forests and newer, regrown ones. You might also find it in gardens. Sometimes, it even lives on farms. It often stays close to rivers and streams.
How Does the Bearded Wood Partridge Behave?
What Does It Eat?
The bearded wood partridge looks for food on the ground. Its diet includes many different things. It eats seeds, fruits, and buds. It also digs up tubers, which are like underground plant stems. Plus, it enjoys eating insects.
How Does It Raise Its Young?
Scientists do not know much about how the bearded wood partridge breeds. They think it usually breeds between April and June. The male bird builds a special nest. It is shaped like a dome with a tunnel for an entrance. A female bird usually lays about five eggs in the nest.
What Does Its Song Sound Like?
The bearded wood partridge has a loud and lively song. It is a series of whistles that are repeated quickly. Often, a male and female will sing together in a duet. The songs of both sexes sound similar. However, the female's song is usually quieter. These birds sing mostly at dawn and dusk. Groups of partridges sing to stay in touch with each other.
Is the Bearded Wood Partridge in Danger?
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) keeps track of animals. Since 2000, they have listed the bearded wood partridge as Vulnerable. This means it is at risk of becoming endangered. Before 2000, it was even listed as Critically Endangered.
New studies have found that this species is more widespread than once thought. There are also more of them than people first believed. However, their living areas are still very broken up. Their total population is small and continues to shrink.
