Gorgeted wood-quail  (Odontophorus strophium)

Classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List (1).

The gorgeted wood-quail is a small New World quail distinguished by the distinctive black and white bands on its throat. The rest of the plumage is largely brownish in colour, with dark upperparts, spotted and streaked with black and buff, and more reddish underparts, spotted with white on the breast. The male gorgeted wood-quail sports a short blackish-brown crest, a blackish-brown eyestripe, white cheeks and a white line above the eye, while the female is similar in appearance, but more greyish below, with reduced spotting on the breast, a white chin, and a white throat, crossed by a band of black spots. The legs and short beak are black (2) (3) (4). Immature individuals are more brownish-grey on the breast and side, with the white breast spots reduced to streaks (2). The song of the gorgeted wood-quail, given in the early morning, is described as loud and “rollicking” (3), consisting of multiple repetitions of short phrases (5).

The gorgeted wood-quail is endemic to a small area of the western slope of the East Andes, in Colombia. Originally known from a few sites in the department of Cundinamarca, the species has since only been recorded to the north, in the department of Santander (2) (3) (4) (6) (7).

This species inhabits humid temperate and subtropical forests dominated by oak and laurel species, at elevations of around 1,500 to 2,900 metres (2) (3) (5) (6) (7). Although believed to be dependent on primary forest for at least part of its life cycle, the gorgeted wood-quail has also been recorded in secondary and degraded forest (2) (3) (6) (7).

Relatively little is known about the biology of the gorgeted wood-quail. Found on the forest floor (2) (4), it feeds on a diet of fruit, seeds and arthropods (2) (3) (6) (7), and is usually seen in small groups of up to three birds (2) (7). Breeding occurs from March to May and September to November, apparently coinciding with the periods of peak rainfall (2) (3) (6) (7). However, no other information is available on the reproductive behaviour of this species.

In 2008, the gorgeted wood-quail was downlisted by the IUCN from Critically Endangered to Endangered after surveys found it to be more widespread than previously thought (3). However, the species is still under serious threat from hunting and habitat loss, with most of its habitat having already been converted to agriculture, plantations and grazing land, and the remaining forest reduced to tiny, isolated patches (2) (3) (6) (7). The highly restricted and fragmented range of the gorgeted wood-quail, encompassing an area no more than 280 kilometres in length, together with its small population size, makes it particularly vulnerable to any threats (2) (3). As a ground-dwelling species it may also have a limited ability to disperse (5), making a lack of habitat connectivity particularly detrimental to its survival.

The gorgeted wood-quail receives some protection within the Guanentá-Alto Río Fonce Flora and Fauna Sanctuary and the adjacent Cachalu Biological Reserve, and efforts have been underway to set up research projects in these areas (2) (3) (6) (7). Fundación ProAves have undertaken population studies in Serranía de los Yariguíes, as well as distributing educational materials to local people (3) (5), and further studies have been recommended to assess and monitor the population, survey further sites, investigate the level of hunting pressure, and assess the species’ use of secondary forest (3) (5) (6) (7). Effective protection of the remaining forest areas is needed, and if this rare forest quail is found to also occur at any additional sites, it will be important to ensure that these also receive adequate protection (3) (6) (7).

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

To find out more about the gorgeted wood-quail and its conservation see:

• Fundación ProAves:
  http://www.proaves.org/
• BirdLife International:
  http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=333&m=0

• The World Pheasant Association:
  http://www.pheasant.org.uk/
• Fuller, R.A., Carroll, J.P. and McGowan, P.J.K. (2000) Partridges, Quails, Francolins, Snowcocks, Guineafowl, and Turkeys. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan 2000-2004. WPA/BirdLife/SSC Partridge, Quail, and Francolin Specialist Group, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK, and the World Pheasant Association, Reading, UK. Available at:
  http://data.iucn.org/dbtw-wpd/edocs/2000-076.pdf