Alternative English names: Buff-fronted
Wood-Partridge, Nicaraguan Tree Quail
Alternative scientific names: None
Spanish names: Polla de Monte (H); Gallina-de-monte Centroamericana
(E); Perdiz de los Altos (G); Perdiz Montanera (CR); Chirrascua
(CR)
Land mentions two subspecies for Guatemala: D. l. leucphrys,
which is found from Chiapas (Mexico) to Guatemala, and D.
l. nicaraguae, which is smaller and darker and found
on the Pacific slope of Guatemala to Costa Rica.
Although this species is difficult to see, the distinctive
calls are easily recognized and indicate that this species
is not as uncommon as is often thought. I have seen this species
deep within cloud forest and pine forest, but more commonly
they are encountered in second growth or coffee plantations.
They are often found in areas with almost impenetrable undergrowth.
This species is usually seen on the ground. Most views are
often of a tail end of one as it runs from the side of the
path into the undergrowth. A distinctive feature is often
the cocked tail which makes them look surprisingly like a
small chicken. Although difficult, it is sometimes possible
to sneak up on birds that are calling, though they will run
off at the first site of you or if they hear your approach.
Dicky and van Rossem comment on how the body of this species
is laterally compressed like that of a rail, to allow them
to slip easily through dense undergrowth.
Infonatura has a range map for this species (www.natureserve.org/infonatura).
Dickey and van Rossem comment on how their secretive nature
causes great difficulty in gaining much information about
the behaviour of this species. From their observations they
suggest that they travel in small groups which break up into
pairs as the breeding season approaches. They found a roosting
tree, where they noted that several groups seemed to congregate
to roost. They were able to get little more than glimpses
of the birds but noted that the calls of the entire neighbourhood
converged towards the roosting area.
The following site gives a couple of pages on observations
of this species by Carlos Raabe (www.zeledonia.org).
The article is in Spanish and is about the only discussion
of the behaviour of this species that I have ever found. He
observed them eating fruits of Physalis peruviana
and small capsules that had fallen from Bocconia frutescens.
Birds collected by Dickey and van Rossem had seeds and flower
buds in the stomach.
On several occasions over the years Carlos Raabe observed
pairs of birds with between 2 and 6 young chicks that regularly
came to a grain feeder. Recently hatched chicks were observed
in April and May; he comments that the breeding season of
this species is not the middle of the rainy season (June to
September) as suggested by Stiles and Skutch, but begins at
the end of the dry season (around March and April). Oliver
Komar recently found the only nest of this species. The information
is currently being prepared for publication. Dickey and van
Rossem collected one bird on February 24th, which had an egg
that had just entered the oviduct, but had yet to develop
a shell. They also trapped a bird on March 21st that had just
finished the incubation period.
Carlos Raabe observed a pair with 6 chicks was intermitently
observed for many months. Shortly after the first observations
the group was seen 400m from the feeder, suggesting quite
a large range for birds so small. His estimation of territories
was about 10 hectares. This group of 6 chicks was reduced
to 4 by mid-May, to 3 by late July and to 2 by early September.
After this time he observed a lot of aggression between the
two, now fully grown, chicks and by early December there was
only one; he did not know if the other had left or died.
Dickey and van Rossem describe an annual molt that takes
place just after the breeding season. A bird taken on March
21st, which had just finished incubating (see above), was
in full moult including the wings and tail.
I have only been able to locate one photo of this species,
which is by Carlos Raabe and can be seen on the photgallery
of Zeledonia (www.zeledonia.org).
Carlos kindly gave me permission to use this photos, which
you see at the top of this page.
Apparently there are 4 recordings at the Cornall Library
of Natural Sounds (http://birds.cornell.edu/LNS).
There is also a recording of this species on 'Voices of the
New World Quails' by Hardy and Raitt (see recordings page)
Known sites
Guatemala
Near Quetzaltenango
Honduras
Celaque
La Muralla
El Salvador
Perkin
El Pital
Cerro Verde
Fairly common throughout the country in coffee plantations
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