The Tacarcuna wood quail is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae, the New World quail. It is found in Colombia and Panama.
Region
Darién and adjacent Chocó (Panama–Colombia border)
Typical Environment
Occurs in humid foothill and montane forests of the Serranía del Darién and neighboring ridges on both sides of the border. It favors dense understory, thickets, and bamboo patches along steep slopes and ravines. Birds keep to the forest floor, using leaf litter and fallen logs for cover. It avoids open areas and heavily disturbed secondary growth, persisting best in large, continuous forest tracts.
Altitude Range
800–1700 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Tacarcuna wood quail is a shy, ground-dwelling New World quail restricted to the Serranía del Darién along the Panama–Colombia border. It forages in small family coveys through dense understory, often remaining unseen but revealed by its loud, whistled choruses at dawn. Habitat loss and hunting pressure threaten this range-restricted species, making conservation of intact montane forest crucial.
Temperament
secretive and wary
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually encountered in small coveys or family groups that move single-file through dense cover. Nests are shallow ground scrapes hidden in thick vegetation. Likely forms monogamous pairs during the breeding season, with both adults accompanying young soon after hatching.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives loud, clear, whistled notes that carry through the forest, often delivered antiphonally by members of a covey at dawn and dusk. Calls include sharp contact whistles and accelerating series used to maintain group cohesion.
Plumage
Overall dark, finely mottled brown with barred flanks and a contrasting, paler throat; crown and nape show warm rufous tones. The underparts are duskier with subtle speckling, and the tail is short and rounded. Feathers appear dense and slightly glossy on the head and breast, with a softer, cryptic pattern on the body.
Diet
Feeds on fallen seeds, small fruits, tender shoots, and a variety of invertebrates such as beetles, ants, termites, and larvae. It scratches through leaf litter to uncover hidden prey and picks at soft fruits on the ground. Seasonal availability of fruit and insects likely influences its foraging choices.
Preferred Environment
Forages along shaded forest floor, especially in dense understory, bamboo, and along stream edges. Uses natural openings under thickets and trails, retreating quickly to cover when disturbed.
