The singing quail is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae, the New World quail. It is found in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.
Region
Mesoamerica
Typical Environment
Occurs from southern and eastern Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. It inhabits dense forest understory, including tropical evergreen and semi-deciduous forests, cloud forest margins, and pine–oak woodlands with thick ground cover. The species also uses secondary growth, thickets, and shaded coffee plantations where leaf litter is abundant. It is strongly terrestrial, foraging on the forest floor and retreating to cover when disturbed.
Altitude Range
0–2400 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
The singing quail is the sole member of the genus Dactylortyx and is notable for its clear, far-carrying whistled song. It prefers to run through dense understory and only flushes in a short, explosive burst when approached. Pairs or small family groups often keep in close contact with soft calls and sometimes perform antiphonal duets.
Temperament
secretive and wary
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with an explosive flush, then a low glide before dropping back into cover
Social Behavior
Usually found in pairs or small coveys that keep close contact with soft calls. Nests are on the ground, well concealed in dense vegetation, typically a shallow scrape lined with leaves and grasses. Breeding generally aligns with the rainy season, and both adults remain close to cover while rearing young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Delivers clear, whistled phrases that carry far through the forest, often a series of rising or paired notes. Duet-like exchanges between mates are common at dawn and dusk, interspersed with soft contact calls while foraging.
Plumage
Mottled and barred brown upperparts with rufous and buff tones, giving a scaly appearance on the underparts. Males often show a richer rufous breast and a paler throat, with darker mottling on the flanks. The tail is very short and often held low; overall plumage provides excellent camouflage in leaf litter.
Diet
Feeds on seeds, small fruits, tender shoots, and a variety of invertebrates such as beetles, ants, termites, and other insects. Forages by scratching through leaf litter and probing soft soil. Diet composition shifts seasonally, with more seeds and fruits in drier periods and more invertebrates during rains.
Preferred Environment
Primarily on the forest floor in dense understory, along edges, and in secondary growth with ample leaf litter. Also uses shaded agroforestry habitats like coffee plantations where cover is continuous.
