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Home/Species/ Montezuma Quail

Cyrtonyx montezumae

(Vigors, 1830)

Montezuma Quail

G4Apparently Secure (G4G5) Found in 21 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104569
Element CodeABNLC19010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderGalliformes
FamilyOdontophoridae
GenusCyrtonyx
Other Common Names
Codorniz Moctezuma (ES) Colin arlequin (FR)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Taxonomic Comments
Composed of two groups: montezumae and sallaei of the Pacific slope of Mexico (AOU 1998). Possibly conspecific with C. ocellatus (AOU 1983, Sibley and Monroe 1990). Formerly in family Phasianidae; placed in family Odontophoridae by AOU (1997).
Conservation Status
Review Date1996-11-25
Change Date1996-11-25
Range Extent Comments
Resident from central and southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, western and central Texas, northern Coahuila, central Nuevo Leon and central Tamaulipas south in mountains of Mexico to west-central Veracruz and central Oaxaca (AOU 1983).
Threat Impact Comments
Can be eliminated locally with removal of more than about 55% of understory vegetation by livestock grazing; probably suseptible to local elimination with frequent and intense hunting pressure (see Stromberg 1990).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Pine-oak and oak scrub in highlands, especially in open woodland with grass understory (Subtropical and lower Temperate zones) (AOU 1983). In oak savanna in southeastern Arizona, preferred SE-facing hillsides in tall grasses for night roosts and north-facing hillsides for day use (Stromberg 1990). Nests on the ground in a scrape lined with grasses. Often nests under the cover of a bush or grass tuft.

Ecology

Usually found in pairs or small groups. Coveys in southeastern Arizona relatively sedentary on a daily basis, periodically changed use areas; home range generally 1-5 ha in winter, expanding to up to 50 ha with pair formation in late winter and early spring; up to 4 coveys/259 ha in most densely occupied habitat (Stromberg 1990).

Reproduction

Pairs observed April-May through September in southeastern Arizona (Stromberg 1990). Clutch size is 6-14 (usually 10-12). Incubation, by both sexes in turn, lasts 25-26 days (Terres 1980). Nestlings are precocial. Young are cared for by both parents.
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralSavanna
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
New MexicoS3B,S3NYes
TexasS3BYes
ArizonaS4Yes
Roadless Areas (21)
Arizona (9)
AreaForestAcres
ChiricahuaCoronado National Forest76,876
Happy ValleyCoronado National Forest7,972
Lower RinconCoronado National Forest3,278
Middle Dragoon RoadlessCoronado National Forest10,543
Mitchell PeakApache-Sitgreaves National Forests35,398
Painted BluffsApache-Sitgreaves National Forests43,118
TumacacoriCoronado National Forest44,594
Upper Dragoon RoadlessCoronado National Forest2,533
WhetstoneCoronado National Forest20,728
New Mexico (12)
AreaForestAcres
Apache Kid ContiguousCibola National Forest67,542
Apache MountainGila National Forest17,506
Canyon CreekGila National Forest9,824
Contiguous To Black & Aldo Leopold WildernessGila National Forest111,883
Contiguous To Gila Wilderness & Primitive AreaGila National Forest79,049
Devils CreekGila National Forest89,916
Elk MountainGila National Forest6,550
Frisco BoxGila National Forest38,979
Meadow CreekGila National Forest34,167
Peloncillo (NM)Coronado National Forest43,339
Sawyers PeakGila National Forest59,743
T BarGila National Forest6,823
References (17)
  1. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1983. Check-list of North American Birds, 6th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 877 pp.
  2. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in <i>The Auk</i>]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
  3. BirdLife International. 2004b. Threatened birds of the world 2004. CD ROM. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK.
  4. Calkins, J. D., J. C. Hagelin, and D. F. Lott. 1999. California Quail (CALLIPEPLA CALIFORNICA). No. 473 IN A. Poole and F. Gill, eds. The birds of North America. The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. 32pp.
  5. DeVos, T. and B. S. Mueller. 1993. Reproductive ecology of Northern Bobwhite in north Florida. Proceedings of the National Quail Symposium III:83-89.
  6. Gutierrez, R. J., and D. J. Delehanty. 1999. Mountain Quail (OREORTYX PICTUS). No. 457 IN A. Poole and F. Gill, editors. The birds of North America. The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. 28pp.
  7. Harrison, C. 1978. A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds. Collins, Cleveland, Ohio.
  8. Johnsgard, P. A. 1988. The quails, partridges, and francolins of the world. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. 264 pp.
  9. Lee, J. M. 1994. Habitat ecology of Northern Bobwhite at Copiah County Wildlife Management Area. Masters thesis, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State.
  10. Manley, S. W. 1994. Evaluation of old-field habitat manipulations for breeding Northern Bobwhites. Masters thesis, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State.
  11. Oberholser, H.C. 1974. The bird life of Texas. 2 vols. Univ. of Texas Press, Austin.
  12. Parker III, T. A., D. F. Stotz, and J. W. Fitzpatrick. 1996. Ecological and distributional databases for neotropical birds. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
  13. Poole, A. F. and F. B. Gill. 1992. The birds of North America. The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. and The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA.
  14. Stromberg, M. R. 1990. Habitat, movements and roost characteristics of Montezuma quail in southeastern Arizona. Condor 92:229-236.
  15. Stromberg, M. R. 2000. Montezuma Quail. No. 524 IN A. Poole and F. Gill (editors), The birds of North America. The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. 20pp.
  16. Taylor, J. S., K. E. Church, D. H. Rusch, and J. R. Cary. 1999a. Macrohabitat effects on summer survival, movements, and clutch success of Northern Bobwhite in Kansas. Journal of Wildlife Management 63:675-685.
  17. Terres, J. K. 1980. The Audubon Society encyclopedia of North American birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.