Chestnut wood quail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chestnut wood quail |
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Odontophorus (bird)
|
| Species: |
hyperythrus
|
 |
|
The chestnut wood quail (Odontophorus hyperythrus) is a special type of bird. It belongs to the Odontophoridae family, also known as the New World quail. You can only find this unique bird in Colombia, a country in South America.
Contents
About the Chestnut Wood Quail
What's in a Name?
Scientists have studied the chestnut wood quail for a long time. At different times, they thought it might be the same as other quail species. These include the rufous-fronted wood quail, the dark-backed wood quail, and the rufous-breasted wood quail. However, experts now agree that the chestnut wood quail is a unique species. It is the only one of its kind, which means it is monotypic.
How to Spot One
The chestnut wood quail is about 25 to 29 centimeters (10 to 11 inches) long. That's about the size of a small ruler. Males are a bit heavier, weighing 325 to 380 grams (11.5 to 13.4 ounces). Females weigh 325 to 330 grams (11.5 to 11.6 ounces).
Both male and female quails have grayish-white feathers around their eyes. The female's eye feathers are usually more noticeable. Adult males have a chestnut-colored head. Their back, rump, and wings are brown. The rump also has fine black lines that look like tiny waves. Their throat and belly are a reddish-brown color, called rufous.
Adult female quails look a bit different. Their crown, which is the top of their head, is a dark brown. Their chest and belly are dark gray. Young quails, called juveniles, look similar to the adult females.
Where They Live
The chestnut wood quail mostly lives in the western and central Andes mountains of Colombia. You can also find them in some parts of the eastern Andes. These birds prefer to live at high elevations. They are found from 1,600 to 2,800 meters (5,200 to 9,200 feet) above sea level.
They make their homes inside and at the edges of subtropical montane forests. These are forests found in mountainous regions. They live in both old, untouched forests and newer, regrowing forests. Chestnut wood quails usually stay on the ground. However, they have been seen resting in trees as high as 10 meters (33 feet) off the ground.
Life and Habits
What They Eat
The chestnut wood quail finds its food by scratching through fallen leaves on the forest floor. They look for roots, seeds, and berries that have dropped from plants. They probably also eat insects.
Family Life
The chestnut wood quail seems to have two main times for nesting. These seasons match the wettest parts of the year, from March to May and again from October to December.
Their nests are like small, round domes built on the ground. They make them from leaves and twigs. Each nest has a short tunnel for an entrance. A female quail usually lays four or five eggs. Only the female sits on the eggs to keep them warm until they hatch. After the chicks are born, the whole family group stays together for many months.
How They Communicate
The chestnut wood quail has a special call to attract a mate or mark its territory. It's a fast, rolling sound that often sounds like a duet, "orrit-kilyit...". They also have an alarm call. This is a quiet "peetit, peetit..." sound they make when they sense danger.
Conservation Status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) keeps track of how many animals are left in the wild. They have assessed the chestnut wood quail as being of "Least Concern." This means they are not currently in great danger of disappearing.
Before 2020, this bird was listed as "Near Threatened." This meant it was close to being at risk. Even though we don't know the exact number of these birds, and their population might be shrinking, the IUCN decided they are not in enough trouble to need a more serious rating right now.
See also
In Spanish: Corcovado castaño para niños
