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Black-throated (Yucatan) Bobwhite Colinus nigrogularis
The taxonomic status of the bobwhites has been in debate for many years and some authors consider this to be a subspecies of the Northern Bobwhite. The Black-throated Bobwhite has a very limited world distribution and is largely confined to the Yucatan Peninsular. However, there is also a population in the pine savannahs of the Mosquitia in eastern Honduras, which is why the name ‘Black-throated Bobwhite’ is preferable to the commonly used name of ‘Yucatan Bobwhite’. Bonta and Anderson give the status in Honduras as common, though place a question mark beside it, which suggests that there is little data to go on. The main range of this species is in the northern parts of the Yucatan in Mexico, though there is also a population in Belize and a smaller one in the Peten of northern Guatemala. Land describes the birds in this Guatemalan population as fairly common, whereas Beavers describes them as very rare. Smithe says that there are no records from Tikal, but cites two authors who found them numerous in the savannah to the south of Lake Peten Itza. Smithe also comments on how large numbers of the bones of this species have been found at the Mayan sites, which suggests that they were once far commoner in the region when there was less forest coverage. Recent forest clearance may lead to an expansion of their range again. My only sightings of this species have been in Belize and Mexico.