Crested bobwhite facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Crested bobwhite |
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| On Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles | |
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| Genus: |
Colinus
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| Species: |
cristatus
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The crested bobwhite (Colinus cristatus) is a small bird that belongs to the Odontophoridae family. You can find these birds in northern South America. Their home range stretches through Panama and reaches into Costa Rica. They also live on the islands of Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles. These birds prefer certain types of places to live. They like dry, bushy areas or grassy fields that sometimes get wet. They can also be found in areas where forests used to be but are now changed.
What Does a Crested Bobwhite Look Like?
Adult crested bobwhites are about 17.8 to 21.6 centimeters (7 to 8.5 inches) long. Both male and female birds look very much alike. The long feathers on their forehead and top of their head are usually light cream or white. The feathers that form their crest can be dark.
The sides and back of their neck have a cool marbled pattern of black and white. Their throat is white or cream, and sometimes it has black spots. The upper parts of their body are a mix of black, brown, and gray patterns. Their belly and chest are light-colored with markings of cream, cinnamon, and black. Their eyes are brown, their beak is black, and their legs are bluish-gray. Female birds are just a little bit browner than the males.
How Do Crested Bobwhites Behave?
Crested bobwhites usually live in small groups. They spend their time on the ground, often near thick bushes or plants where they can hide. Their actions are quite similar to another bird called the northern bobwhite.
These birds eat different kinds of food. Their diet includes buds, young shoots, and leaves from plants. They also enjoy eating small bugs and other tiny creatures. When it's time for them to find a mate, the male bird makes a special sound. His call is easy to recognize. It's a quick, raspy sound that sounds like "quoit bob-white" with three syllables. Sometimes, it's a two-syllable call like "oh, wheet."
What is the Crested Bobwhite's Status?
The crested bobwhite lives across a very large area. It is also quite common in many of the places where it lives. The number of these birds seems to be growing. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has checked on their status. They have decided that the crested bobwhite is a species of "least concern." This means they are not currently worried about this bird becoming endangered.
