Long-tailed Wood Partridge

Overview

The long-tailed wood partridge (Dendrortyx macroura) is a bird species within the New World quail family found exclusively in Mexico. Classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, the species faces threats primarily from habitat loss due to human land use and cover changes.

Identification

• Length ranges from 29.0 to 42.2 cm, with adults possessing long tails, though females have shorter ones.
• Most of the head is black with white streaks above and below the eyes, and a short crown crest tipped with buff.
• The upper back is chestnut edged with grey, while the lower back features olive brown, black, and tawny mottling.
• The breast is bluish-grey with chestnut streaks, a pattern that is similar in juveniles but with darker spots and less chestnut on the underparts.
• The song is complex, loud, and rhythmic, often described as a ringing 'korr-EEE-oh' sequence, and is usually performed as a duet by pairs.

Habitat

The species inhabits humid pine-oak, pine, fir, and montane evergreen forests that possess dense understories. Its distribution across six subspecies is restricted to various regions of Mexico, occupying elevations between 1,200 and 3,300 m.

Diet

Foraging behaviour is primarily ground-based, involving the scratching of leaf litter, though the bird also climbs low branches to search for food. Its diet consists mostly of seeds and small fruits, supplemented by small arthropods and leaves.

Did you know?

During the breeding season, pairs vocalise at any time of day or night, whereas outside this period, they limit their activity to dawn and dusk from a shared night roost.