White quail
| White quail | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg)
White quail ( Philortyx fasciatus ) |
||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||
|
||||||||||
| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||
| Philortyx | ||||||||||
| Gould , 1846 | ||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||
| Philortyx fasciatus | ||||||||||
| ( Gould , 1844) |
The banded quail ( Philortyx fasciatus ) is a species of bird in the family of quail . It is the only species in the genus Philortyx .
features
The quail reaches a size of 18 to 21 cm. The males weigh an average of 130 grams, the females 126 grams. The chest and belly are white with black banding. The plumage is predominantly gray-brown to gray. The head is gray-brown. The chin and throat are white. The upright feathers are black and brown with reddish brown tips. The beak is black, the legs are brown. The female has a shorter head. The face, chin and throat of immature birds are black feathered.
Occurrence
The tail quail is found in the states of Jalisco, Guerrero, Morelos and Pueblo in southwestern Mexico .
habitat
The white quail inhabits dry and semi-arid tropical bushland, grassland and the adjacent agricultural areas as well as overgrown pastures. It can be found from sea level to altitudes over 1,500 m, but most often in lower altitudes.
Way of life
The diet of the white quail consists mainly of the seeds of the genera Desmodium and Crotalaria as well as sunflower seeds , thistles , grain wheels , croton , beans , sesame , insects and caterpillars. The white quail nests between August and September. For birds in human care, the nest is made of grass. Three to seven eggs (five on average) are laid every two days. The incubation period is 21 to 23 days. The white eggs have an average size of 30.2 × 23.7 m.
status
The IUCN estimates the population at less than 100,000 specimens and classifies the species in the category of “ least concern” . Overgrazing and local hunting are potential threats.
literature
- Josep del Hoyo , Andrew Elliott & Jordi Sargatal (eds.): Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: New World Vultures to Guineafowl. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 1994, ISBN 84-87334-15-6 .
Web links
- photo
- Philortyx fasciatus inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
