Singing Quail Dactylortyx thoracicus Scientific name definitions

Much more frequently heard than seen, a remarkable 17 subspecies of the Singing Quail have been described, although some authorities recognize just seven of these. The Singing Quail is a small, short-tailed quail, with a short, ruffled crest. The plumage is largely brown, but intricately patterned, with the male being distinguished by its buffy-orange face and throat, which parts are pale grayish to off-white in the female. This species ranges in Middle America from northern Mexico south over both slopes to central Honduras, and appears to be locally common the dense undergrowth of suitable forest, both evergreen and semideciduous. Its altitudinal range spans at least sea level to 3000 m.

20–23 cm; male 180–266 g, female 115–206 g (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Toes and claws very long, but overall a small, short-tailed bird that is unlikely to be confused within its forested habitat, as it does not overlap with any species of Odontophorus or with Rhyncortyx cinctus (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Overall coloration grey and brown with white streaks. Crown dark brown, collar buff with black spots; supercilium, chin, sides of neck and throat tawny orange ; black streak extends from back of eye to collar. Back and wings mottled grey and brown, with white shaft-streaks; rump olive-brown or grey with black vermiculations. Breast and belly greyish brown with white streaks, lower belly white. Bill dark grey to blackish brown (initially reddish in juvenile) (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), irides dark brown (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), legs plumbeous. Female similar, but sides of head grey fading to white on throat ; breast and flanks paler brown. Juvenile similar to adult female but has blackish spotting on underparts (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), and sides of head more cinnamon-buff in males and less ochraceous in females. Races separated on coloration and size: darker birds from montane forests, paler ones from more arid areas; largest individuals found in populations occurring in mountains, whereas smallest found near sea-level in Yucatán: race pettingilli is greyer above and below than nominate thoracicus, with very pale buff belly; race devius is overall very rich reddish brown; race melodus is comparatively large and rather dark olive-brown; race ginetensis is paler below than the last-named, becoming almost whitish on belly; race edwardsi is almost pure grey below, with darker and redder upperparts than moorei; race chiapensis is a rather dark form with dusky-grey underparts; race moorei has paler grey underparts than chiapensis and ginetensis, with well-marked whitish shaft-streaks; race <em>dolichonyx</em> has paler grey underparts than edwardsi, and these are suffused buff and rufous; race sharpei is overall rather small and pale brown; race paynteri is the palest taxon of all, and is further characterized in being small; race <em>calophonus</em> is comparatively large and rich brown overall, above and below, with only very narrow pale streaks on ventral region; race salvadoranus is overall medium to dark grey; race taylori is paler and browner than either salvadoranus or fuscus; race fuscus is the darkest race of all, although considered somewhat intermediate between salvadoranus and conoveri (2 Blake, E. R. (1977). Manual of Neotropical Birds. Volume 1. Spheniscidae (Penguins) to Laridae (Gulls and Allies). The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, USA, and London, UK. Close ), it becoming almost black on crown and otherwise sooty-coloured throughout, with pale shaft-streaking almost wholly lacking; race rufescens (known solely from female specimens) is very reddish-coloured, but is a poorly known subspecies and has been speculated to represent variation within female fuscus (2 Blake, E. R. (1977). Manual of Neotropical Birds. Volume 1. Spheniscidae (Penguins) to Laridae (Gulls and Allies). The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, USA, and London, UK. Close ); race conoveri has a dark rufous supercilium and throat contrasting with a darker grey breast and greyish-white posterior underparts (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Variable depending on population: subtropical montane and cloud forests at 1000–3000 m; in Yucatán Peninsula, locally to lower altitudes even sea-level, but generally above 250 m) (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) in deciduous scrub. Observed to be common in forests of oak (Quercus) and sweet gum (Liquidambar). Found on forest floor with sparse understorey, and also in older second growth; especially at edges of old growth and clear-cut areas. Found in coffee plantations in El Salvador and at least locally in Guerrero, Mexico (5 Howell, S.N.G. and Webb, S. (1994). Additional information on the birds of Guerrero, Mexico. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club. 114(4): 232–243. Close ).

Presumably sedentary. Prefers to run (in zigzags) rather than fly in face of perceived danger (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Small bulbs and seeds, e.g. pokeweed (Phytolacca), and insects including centipedes, crickets, fly larvae, grasshoppers and grubs. May eat coffee beans. Very strong feet and long claws allow food to be obtained by scratching in forest litter and soil. Recorded in coveys of 3–5, but also up to as many as 12 birds (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Loud, far-carrying, rhythmic song  (considered somewhat like that of Odontophorus guttatus) (6 Jones, H. L. (2004). Birds of Belize. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) commences with a series of hesitant, plaintive whistles, which increase in frequency and pitch into a rapidly delivered series, on varying pitch, with middle ones highest, likened to “pitch-will-weeler, tser-tee-lur” and may be uttered in asynchronous (rising and falling) chorus by several individuals in covey; the introductory part of the song is similar to vocalization of Little Tinamou (Crypturellus soui) and is frequently given at any time; covey members give weak twittering in contact, becoming more nervous and liquid when birds are nervous; and gives “bdr-ddr-bdr-ddr” in flight (rarely heard) (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). In Tamaulipas, song is heard most frequently in Apr–May, decreasing thereafter, although some continue to sing as late as Dec (7 Harrell, B.E. (1951). The Birds of Rancho del Cielo: an Ecological Investigation in the Oak-sweetgum Forests of Tamaulipas, Mexico. M.A. Thesis, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, USA. Close ).

Season may extend from Feb to Oct: birds in breeding condition found during late Mar and Apr; in Yucatán, SE Mexico, nest found in May, and young chicks in Jul and Aug; young chicks in Tamaulipas, E Mexico during Apr, when some birds in same region still had eggs (7 Harrell, B.E. (1951). The Birds of Rancho del Cielo: an Ecological Investigation in the Oak-sweetgum Forests of Tamaulipas, Mexico. M.A. Thesis, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, USA. Close ); downy chick during Jul in Guatemala. Song distinctive and duetting reported. Presumed monogamous (1 Madge, S., and P. McGowan (2002). Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse, including Buttonquails, Sandgrouse and Allies. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Clutch of five eggs found in Yucatán, where broods of 2–4. Eggs creamy white with yellow markings, averaging 29–31 × 23·5–25 mm.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Mace Lande: Safe. Very little information available; total population may number 100,000–500,000 birds. Appears to be locally common in many parts of range (e.g. Cayo District, Belize) (8 Figueroa, O.A., Martinez, W., Teul, M., Albanese, G. and Piaskowski, V.D. (2004). Additional notes on eight bird species from Belize. Cotinga. 21: 31–33. Close ), although only estimate of density appears to be 3·5 pairs in c. 40 ha in Tamaulipas, NE Mexico (7 Harrell, B.E. (1951). The Birds of Rancho del Cielo: an Ecological Investigation in the Oak-sweetgum Forests of Tamaulipas, Mexico. M.A. Thesis, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, USA. Close ). Threats include deforestation, and possibly hunting and grazing in forests. Although found in small and rather isolated populations, apparently more capable of withstanding habitat destruction and fragmentation than other quails of Middle and South America. Extensive surveys required.