The ocellated quail is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae, the New World quail. It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
Region
Central American Highlands
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily from southern Mexico (e.g., Chiapas) through Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and into Nicaragua. It inhabits pine–oak woodlands, brushy slopes, and edges of cloud forest with a dense grassy or herbaceous understory. Birds also use shrubby secondary growth and occasionally traditional shade coffee. It avoids continuous closed-canopy forest and prefers broken terrain with ample cover for foraging and concealment.
Altitude Range
600–2400 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Ocellated Quail is a shy, ground-dwelling New World quail that favors grassy understory within pine–oak highlands. It often goes undetected for years in parts of its range due to its secretive habits and patchy distribution. Habitat loss and hunting pressure have contributed to sustained declines, and it flushes with an explosive whirr when disturbed.
Temperament
secretive and wary
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, explosive flush
Social Behavior
Typically encountered in pairs or small family coveys that keep to dense ground cover. Nests are shallow ground scrapes concealed in grass or shrubs. Likely maintains monogamous pairs during breeding, with broods led on foot to feeding sites soon after hatching.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are soft, whistled notes, often a clear, mellow two- to three-note call given from cover. Males may give advertising whistles at dawn and dusk that carry modestly through the understory.
