Himalayan quail
| Himalayan quail | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Himalayan Quail ( Ophrysia superciliosa ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||
| Ophrysia | ||||||||
| Bonaparte , 1856 | ||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||
| Ophrysia superciliosa | ||||||||
| ( JE Gray , 1846) |
The Himalayan quail ( Ophrysia superciliosa ), also known as the hill quail , is a species of the pheasant family. It is the only species in its genus and occurs exclusively in the Himalayas . The Himalayan quail was last sighted in the 19th century, so it is believed to have become extinct.
Appearance
The Himalayan quail reaches a body length of 25 centimeters. The females are a bit smaller. In the adult male, the forehead is white with a black border. The sides of the head, chin and throat are black. There are small white spots in front of and behind the eyes. The top of the head is brown-gray with black narrow vertical stripes. The body plumage is brown-gray with even black vertical stripes. The wings are brown and slightly lighter than the body plumage. The female is slightly lighter than the male. The forehead, throat and ear patches are pale cinnamon gray. Small white spots can also be found behind and in front of her eyes. The neck and top of the body are reddish brown with conspicuous triangular spots. The underside of the body is cinnamon gray.
The feet are short and strong; Spores are absent. The body feathers are long and lanceolate and resemble the blood pheasant . The beak is very strong, the tail consists of ten feathers that are rounded at the end.
Distribution area and habitat
The range of the Himalayan quail is northern India. It was observed in three places in the north of Uttar Pradesh . The last observation is dated to the year 1890. The few museum bellows were all collected in the dry winter months of November to January. which may be due to the fact that they were non-breeding birds that had migrated further north from higher regions. However, their relatively small wings do not suggest that they were long-distance migrants. The region from which the museum bellows come has undergone drastic changes over the past 150 years. Intensive pasture management has resulted in the grass slopes being overgrazed and this species probably not surviving in this region. However, there have been unconfirmed sightings of chickens resembling the Himalayan quail from the Eastern Himalayas, so there is still a possibility that residual populations may exist.
Way of life
Apparently the Himalayan quail lives in small groups of six to 12 individuals. It prefers to be found in dense undergrowth and steep slopes. Observers described them as shy and vigilant and reluctant to be exposed. What is certain is that the species feeds on grass seeds, among other things.
supporting documents
literature
- Steve Madge, Phil McGowan, and Guy M. Kirwan : Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse. A Guide to the Pheasants, Partridges, Quails, Grouse, Guineafowl, Buttonquails and Sandgrouse of the world. Christopher Helm, London 2002, ISBN 0-7136-3966-0 .
Single receipts
Web links
- Ophrysia superciliosa inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2013.