Rhynchortyx cinctus

By John Gerrard Keulemans, in the Public Domain

Etymology: Bill Quail

First Described By: Ogilvie-Grant, 1893

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Galloanserae, Pangalliformes, Galliformes, Phasiani, Odontophoridae, Odontophrinae

Status: Extant, Least Concern

Time and Place: Within the last 10,000 years, in the Holocene epoch of the Quaternary

The Tawny-Faced Quail is known from central and South America, mainly along the coast in the Equator

Physical Description: The Tawny-Faced Quail, being a quail, is a small bird with a very round body and tiny head. It also features a short, round beak, and stubby legs. The tail of the Tawny-Faced Quail is quite short, like in other Quails. The Tawny-Faced Quail is about 20 centimeters long, making it only somewhat smaller in terms of size than a standard soccer (football) ball. This bird is, in general, brown, though the sexes differ distinctly in color. The males have brighter heads, white chests, and yellow bellies; while the females have dark read chests that match their faces, and white bellies. Both sexes have brown back, wing, and tail feathers. Juveniles are similar to the females, but darker in general coloration; and the young are chocolate brown in color.

Diet: The Tawny-Faced Quail feeds on seeds, worms, and insects, mainly by pecking.

Behavior: These birds make hollow, dove-esque calls, which are introduced with a series of whistles. They mostly make sounds at dusk, but also at night as they roost on perches low to the ground. They congregate in pairs or small groups and rarely fly, mainly running short distances. They then freeze where they are concealed, using their natural camouflage to hide from predators. The females lay eggs in March and April, and the species is monogamous, sticking with one partner for most of their lives. They do not migrate, but stay within their ranges year-round.

Ecosystem: The Tawny-Faced Quail live in lowland tropical forest, where they spend most of their time on the ground and roost in low-lying vegetation. They are a prey species and are hunted by a variety of larger predators in the jungle ecosystem.

Other: Though not threatened with extinction, the current population is on a slight decline.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources 

Carroll, J.P., Kirwan, G.M. & Boesman, P. 2019. Tawny-faced Quail (Rhynchortyx cinctus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Jobling, J. A. 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. Christopher Helm Publishing, A&C Black Publishers Ltd, London.