The New World quail are small birds only distantly related to the Old World quail, but named for their similar appearance and habits. The American

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

are in their own family, the Odontophoridae, whereas Old World quail are in the pheasant family

Phasianidae The Phasianidae are a family (biology), family of heavy, ground-living birds, which includes pheasants, partridges, junglefowl, chickens, Turkey bird, turkeys, Old World quail, and peafowl. The family includes many of the most popular Game (hunti ...

. The family ranges from Canada through to southern Brazil, and two species, the California quail and the bobwhite quail, have been successfully introduced to New Zealand. The

stone partridge The stone partridge (''Ptilopachus petrosus'') is a bird of the New World quail family. This largely brown bird, which commonly holds its tail raised, is found in scrubland and lightly wooded habitats, often near rocks, from Kenya and Ethiopia to ...

and

Nahan's partridge Nahan's partridge (''Ptilopachus nahani''), also known as the Nahan's francolin, is a bird traditionally placed in the family Phasianidae. As suggested by its alternative name, it was formerly believed to be a francolin and placed either in ''Fra ...

, both found in Africa, seem to belong to the family. Species are found across a variety of habitats from tropical rainforest to deserts, although few species are capable of surviving at very low temperatures. The 34 species are placed in 10

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

. The legs of most New World quails are short but powerful, with some species having very thick legs for digging. They lack the spurs of many Old World

galliformes Galliformes is an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding birds that includes turkeys, chickens, quail, and other landfowl. Gallinaceous birds, as they are called, are important in their ecosystems as seed dispersers and predators, and are often ...

. Although they are capable of short bursts of strong flight, New World quails prefer to walk, and run from danger (or hide), taking off explosively only as a last resort.

Plumage Plumage ( "feather") is a layer of feathers that covers a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage differ between species and subspecies and may vary with age classes. Within species, ...

varies from dull to spectacular, and many species have ornamental crests or plumes on their heads. Moderate sexual dichromism is seen in plumage, with males having brighter plumage.

Behaviour and ecology

The New World quails are shy diurnal birds and generally live on the ground; even the tree quails, which roost in high trees, generally feed mainly on the ground. They are generalists with regards to their diet, taking insects, seeds, vegetation, and tubers. Desert species in particular consume seeds frequently. Most of the information about the breeding biology of New World quails comes from North American species, which have been better studied than those of the Neotropics. The family is generally thought to be

monogamous Monogamy ( ) is a form of Dyad (sociology), dyadic Intimate relationship, relationship in which an individual has only one Significant other, partner during their lifetime. Alternately, only one partner at any one time (Monogamy#Serial monogamy, ...

, and nests are constructed on the ground. Clutch sizes are large, as is typical within the Galliformes, ranging from three to six eggs for the tree quail and wood quail, and as high as 10-15 for the northern bobwhite. Incubation takes between 16 and 30 days depending on the species. Chicks are precocial and quickly leave the nest to accompany the parents in large family groups. Northern bobwhite and California quail are popular

gamebird Galliformes is an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding birds that includes turkeys, chickens, quail, and other landfowl. Gallinaceous birds, as they are called, are important in their ecosystems as seed dispersers and predators, and are often ...

s, with many taken by hunters, but these species have also had their ranges increased to meet hunting demand and are not

threatened Threatened species are any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of ''critical depensat ...

. They are also artificially stocked. Some species are threatened by human activity, such as the bearded tree quail of Mexico, which is threatened by habitat loss and illegal hunting.

Species

Subspecies English names by Çınar 2015. } (plains bobwhite) *** ''C. v. texanus (Lawrence 1853) (Texas bobwhite) , - , Callipepla californica

, ''

Callipepla ''Callipepla'' is a genus of birds in the New World quail The New World quail are small birds only distantly related to the Old World quail, but named for their similar appearance and habits. The American species are in their own family, th ...

'' (Crested quails) , * †''

Callipepla shotwelli ''Callipepla'' is a genus of birds in the New World quail The New World quail are small birds only distantly related to the Old World quail, but named for their similar appearance and habits. The American species are in their own family, th ...

'' *

Scaled quail The scaled quail (''Callipepla squamata''), also commonly called blue quail or cottontop, is a species of the New World quail family. It is a bluish gray bird found in the arid regions of the Southwestern United States to Central Mexico. This spe ...

/blue quail ''Callipepla squamata'' ** ''C. s. pallida'' (northern scaled quail) ** ''C. s. hargravei'' (Upper Sonoran scaled quail) ** ''C. s. castanogastris'' (chestnut-bellied scaled quail) ** ''C. s. squamata'' (Altiplano scaled quail) *

Elegant quail The elegant quail (''Callipepla douglasii'') is a species of New World quail endemic to Pacific-slope thorn forest of north-western Mexico, from southern Sonora to Nayarit. These are common, mainly ground-dwelling birds, and the IUCN has rated th ...

, ''Callipepla douglasii'' ** ''C. d. douglasii'' (Douglas's elegant quail) ** ''C. d. bensoni'' (Benson's elegant quail) ** ''C. d. vanderbilti'' (Islas Marías elegant quail) ** ''C. d. teres'' (Jalisco elegant quail) * California quail, ''Callipepla californica'' ** ''C. c. brunnescens'' (coastal California quail) ** ''C. c. canfieldae'' (Owen Valley quail) ** ''C. c. californica'' (valley California quail) ** ''C. c. catalinensis'' (Santa Catalina California quail) ** ''C. c. achrustera'' (San Lucas California quail) * Gambel's quail, ''Callipepla gambelii'' ** ''C. g. gambelii'' (southwestern Gambel's quail) ** ''C. g. ignoscens'' (Texas Gambel's quail) ** ''C. g. fulvipectus'' (fulvous-breasted Gambel's quail) ** ''C. g. stephensi'' (Stephen's Gambel's quail) , - , , ''

Cyrtonyx ''Cyrtonyx'' is a bird genus in the New World quail family Odontophoridae. The genus ''Cyrtonyx'' was introduced in 1844 by the English ornithologist and bird artist John Gould. The name combines the Ancient Greek ''kurtos'' meaning "curved" and ...

'' , * †'' Cyrtonyx cooki'' *

Ocellated quail The ocellated quail (''Cyrtonyx ocellatus'') is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae, the New World quail. It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Taxonomy and systematics The ocellated quail shares g ...

, ''Cyrtonyx ocellatus'' * Montezuma quail, ''Cyrtonyx montezumae'' ** ''C. m. mearnsi'' (Mearns's Montezuma quail) ** ''C. m. montezumae'' (Massena harlequin quail) ** ''C. m. rowleyi'' ** ''C. m. sallei'' (Salle's Montezuma/spot-breasted quail) , - , , ''

Dactylortyx The singing quail (''Dactylortyx thoracicus'') is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae, the New World quail. It is found in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. Taxonomy and systematics The singing quail is the only ...

'' , * long-toed/

Singing quail The singing quail (''Dactylortyx thoracicus'') is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae, the New World quail. It is found in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. Taxonomy and systematics The singing quail is the only ...

, ''Dactylortyx thoracicus'' ** ''D. t. pettingilli'' ** ''D. t. thoracicus'' (Veracruz singing quail) ** ''D. t. sharpei'' (Yucatán singing quail) ** ''D. t. paynteri'' ** ''D. t. devius'' (Jaliscan singing quail) ** ''D. t. melodus'' ** ''D. t. chiapensis'' (Chiapan singing quail) ** ''D. t. dolichonyx'' actylortyx thoracicus calophonus** ''D. t. salvadoranus'' (Salvadorean long-toed partridge) ** ''D. t. fuscus'' (Honduran long-toed partridge) ** ''D. t. conoveri'' , - , Chestnut wood quail (Odontophorus hyperythrus)

Chestnut wood quail (Odontophorus hyperythrus)

, '' Odontophorus'' (wood quails) , *

Spotted wood quail The spotted wood quail (''Odontophorus guttatus'') is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. It is a resident breeder in the mountains of Central America from southern Mexico to western Panama. It occurs in highlands from 10 ...

, ''Odontophorus guttatus'' *

Marbled wood quail The marbled wood quail (''Odontophorus gujanensis''), also known as the Amazonian wood quail, is a species of bird in the New World quail family. It has an extensive distribution in Central America and the northern part of South America. Its natu ...

, ''Odontophorus gujanensis'' ** ''O. g. castigatus'' (Chiriquí partridge) ** ''O. g. marmoratus'' (marbled partridge) ** ''O. g. medius'' (Duida partridge) ** ''O. g. gujanensis'' (Guianan partridge) ** ''O. g. buckleyi'' (Buckley's partridge) ** ''O. g. rufogularis'' ** ''O. g. pachyrhynchus'' (thick-billed partridge) ** ''O. g. simonsi'' (Simon's partridge) *

Starred wood quail The starred wood quail (''Odontophorus stellatus'') is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae (New World quail). It is found in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests of Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru. Description The starred ...

, ''Odontophorus stellatus'' *

Spot-winged wood quail The spot-winged wood quail (''Odontophorus capueira'') is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae. It is found in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, and formerly in Uruguay. In Portuguese and Spanish the bird is called uru (Corcovado Urú).

, ''Odontophorus capueira'' *

Black-eared wood quail The black-eared wood quail (''Odontophorus melanotis'') is a bird species in the order Galliformes. Until recently, the species was thought to be part of the family Phasianidae (Old World quail) however DNA- DNA hybridization results determine ...

, ''Odontophorus melanotis'' ** ''O. m. verecundus'' (Honduran partridge) ** ''O. m. melanotis'' (black-eared wood quail) *

Rufous-fronted wood quail The rufous-fronted wood quail (''Odontophorus erythrops'') is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae, the New World quail. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador. Taxonomy and systematics The rufous-fronted wood quail has at various time ...

, ''Odontophorus erythrops'' ** ''O. e. parambae'' (Paramba quail) ** ''O. e. erythrops'' (chestnut-eared partridge) *

Stripe-faced wood quail The stripe-faced wood quail (''Odontophorus balliviani'') is a species of New World quail. It is found in Bolivia and Peru. Taxonomy and systematics The specific epithet of the stripe-faced wood quail commemorates José Ballivián, President ...

, ''Odontophorus balliviani'' *

Chestnut wood quail The chestnut wood quail (''Odontophorus hyperythrus'') is a bird species in the family Odontophoridae, the New World quail. It is found only in Colombia. Taxonomy and systematics The chestnut wood quail has at various times been proposed or ...

, ''Odontophorus hyperythrus'' *

Dark-backed wood quail The dark-backed wood quail (''Odontophorus melanonotus'') is a bird species in the family Odontophoridae, the New World quail. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador. Taxonomy and systematics The dark-backed wood quail is one of 15 species in the ...

, ''Odontophorus melanonotus'' *

Rufous-breasted wood quail The rufous-breasted wood quail (''Odontophorus speciosus'') is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae. It is found in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru primarily on the east side of the Andes between 800 and 2000m in elevation (higher in Peru). ...

, ''Odontophorus speciosus'' ** ''O. s. soderstromii'' (Soderstrom's partridge) ** ''O. s. speciosus'' (rufous-breasted partridge) ** ''O. s. loricatus'' (Bolivian partridge) *

Tacarcuna wood quail The Tacarcuna wood quail (''Odontophorus dialeucos'') is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae, the New World quail. It is found in Colombia and Panama. Taxonomy and systematics Some authors have suggested that the Tarcarcuna wood ...

, ''Odontophorus dialeucos'' *

Gorgeted wood quail The rare gorgeted wood quail (''Odontophorus strophium'') is a small ground-dwelling bird. This tiny member of the New World quail family has been found in the larger oak forest remnants in the eastern Cordillera ( Serrania de Yariguies and NorA ...

, ''Odontophorus strophium'' * Venezuelan wood quail, ''Odontophorus columbianus'' *

Black-breasted wood quail The black-breasted wood quail (''Odontophorus leucolaemus'') is a bird species in the family Odontophoridae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forest. Taxonomy The black-breaste ...

, ''Odontophorus leucolaemus'' *

Black-fronted wood quail The black-fronted wood quail (''Odontophorus atrifrons'') is a bird species in the family Odontophoridae, the New World quail. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela. Taxonomy and systematics Some authors have suggested that the black-fronted w ...

, ''Odontophorus atrifrons'' ** ''O. a. atrifrons'' (black-fronted partridge) ** ''O. a. variegatus'' (variegated partridge) ** ''O. a. navai'' , -

Fossils

* Genus †'' Miortyx'' Miller 1944 ** †'' Miortyx teres'' Miller 1944 ** †'' Miortyx aldeni'' Howard 1966 * Genus †'' Nanortyx'' Weigel 1963 ** †'' Nanortyx inexpectatus'' Weigel 1963 * Genus †'' Neortyx'' Holman 1961 ** †'' Neortyx peninsularis'' Holman 1961

Phylogeny

Living Odontophoridae based on the work by John Boyd.

References

* del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A. & Sargatal, J. (editors). (1994).

Handbook of the Birds of the World The ''Handbook of the Birds of the World'' (HBW) is a multi-volume series produced by the Spanish publishing house Lynx Edicions in partnership with BirdLife International. It is the first handbook to cover every known living species of bird. T ...

. Volume 2: New World Vultures to Guineafowl. Lynx Edicions.

External links