Dark-backed wood quail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dark-backed wood quail |
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| In Mindo, Ecuador | |
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Odontophorus (bird)
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| Species: |
melanonotus
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The dark-backed wood quail (Odontophorus melanonotus) is a type of bird. It belongs to the Odontophoridae family, which are also known as New World quails. You can find this bird in Colombia and Ecuador.
Contents
About the Dark-backed Wood Quail
How Scientists Name Birds
The dark-backed wood quail is one of 15 species in the group called Odontophorus. Scientists group animals together based on how they are related. This bird is part of a "species complex" with other similar quails. This means they are very closely related.
Some scientists have thought it might be the same species as the chestnut wood quail or the rufous-fronted wood quail.
What Its Name Means
The name Odontophorus comes from an old Greek word. It means "tooth-bearing." The second part of its name, melanonotus, also comes from Greek. Melas means black, and notus means backed. So, its name describes its "black back."
This bird is considered "monotypic." This means there are no different types or subspecies of the dark-backed wood quail.
What Does the Dark-backed Wood Quail Look Like?
This quail is about 23 to 28 centimeters (9 to 11 inches) long. Both male and female birds weigh around 322 grams (11.4 ounces).
Adult dark-backed wood quails are mostly brownish-black. They have fine, wavy patterns that look like chestnut lines. Their throat and chest are a reddish-chestnut color. Young quails look similar but are not as bright in color.
Where Does the Dark-backed Wood Quail Live?
Its Home in the Andes
The dark-backed wood quail lives in the Andes mountains. You can find it from southern Colombia, in the Nariño Department, all the way south to the Cotopaxi Province in Ecuador.
Its Favorite Places to Be
This bird likes to live in both old and new tropical forests. It prefers a specific height in the mountains, between 1,100 and 2,200 meters (3,600 and 7,200 feet) high. Even though it mostly walks on the ground, it sleeps in trees.
How the Dark-backed Wood Quail Behaves
What It Eats
The dark-backed wood quail looks for food in groups. These groups can have up to 10 birds. They search on the ground for small creatures without backbones, like insects. They also eat fruit.
How It Raises Its Young
Scientists do not know much about how the dark-backed wood quail breeds. However, they have seen young chicks and dependent birds in many different months. This suggests that they might have a very long breeding season. It's also possible they have two breeding seasons each year.
What It Sounds Like
The dark-backed wood quail has a special song it uses to attract mates. It's a duet, meaning two birds sing together. It sounds like a fast, rolling "koreewow-koreewow-koreewow..." They also make soft whistles and mellow, rolling sounds.
Is the Dark-backed Wood Quail in Danger?
Its Conservation Status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has said that the dark-backed wood quail is "vulnerable." This means it is at risk of becoming endangered.
Why It's Vulnerable
The main reasons it is vulnerable are:
- It lives in a small area.
- Its habitat is broken up into smaller pieces.
- There are not many recent sightings of the bird.
- The places where it lives are shrinking.
- The number of these birds is likely going down.
See also
In Spanish: Corcovado dorsioscuro para niños
