Dark-backed Wood Quail (Odontophorus melanonotus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Dark-backed Wood Quail

Odontophorus melanonotus Gould, 1861

23–28 cmLength322 gWeight

The dark-backed wood quail (Odontophorus melanonotus) is a bird species in the family Odontophoridae, which is the New World quail.

Busiest months: February and November · Most records: Ecuador, Colombia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Dark-backed Wood Quail has been recorded at 34 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Refugio Paz de las AvesEcuador2,487 records
  2. Reserva Mashpi-AmagusaEcuador925 records
  3. Mindo – Vía a las cascadasEcuador286 records
More places
  1. RN Río NambíColombia244 records
  2. Reserva Las TangarasEcuador241 records
  3. Mindo LindoEcuador217 records
  4. Santa Lucia LodgeEcuador208 records
  5. Bellavista Cloud Forest LodgeEcuador180 records
  6. Tandayapa Bird LodgeEcuador162 records
  7. Séptimo ParaisoEcuador118 records

Countries and regions with the most records

EcuadorColombia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The dark-backed wood quail (Odontophorus melanonotus) is a bird species in the family Odontophoridae, which is the New World quail. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Dark-backed Wood Quail?

The Dark-backed Wood Quail is about 23–28 cm long and weighs around 322 g.

Where does the Dark-backed Wood Quail live?

Its breeding range: South America: southwestern Colombia and northwestern Ecuador. It is most often recorded in Ecuador and Colombia.

When is the best time to see the Dark-backed Wood Quail?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February and November (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Dark-backed Wood Quail endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Dark-backed Wood Quail as Least Concern.

What does the Dark-backed Wood Quail eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Dark-backed Wood Quail in?

It belongs to the family New World Quail (Odontophoridae), order Galliformes.

At a glance

Length
23–28 cm
Weight
322 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Omnivore
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
130 mm
Tail
52 mm
Bill
22 mm
Tarsus
46 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

South America: southwestern Colombia and northwestern Ecuador

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
New World Quail Odontophoridae
Genus
Odontophorus

Other birds in the genus Odontophorus

Marbled Wood QuailMarbled Wood QuailOdontophorus gujanensisSpot-winged Wood QuailSpot-winged Wood QuailOdontophorus capueiraBlack-eared Wood QuailBlack-eared Wood QuailOdontophorus melanotisRufous-fronted Wood QuailRufous-fronted Wood QuailOdontophorus erythropsBlack-fronted Wood QuailBlack-fronted Wood QuailOdontophorus atrifronsChestnut Wood QuailChestnut Wood QuailOdontophorus hyperythrusRufous-breasted Wood QuailRufous-breasted Wood QuailOdontophorus speciosusTacarcuna Wood QuailTacarcuna Wood QuailOdontophorus dialeucosGorgeted Wood QuailGorgeted Wood QuailOdontophorus strophiumVenezuelan Wood QuailVenezuelan Wood QuailOdontophorus columbianusBlack-breasted Wood QuailBlack-breasted Wood QuailOdontophorus leucolaemusStripe-faced Wood QuailStripe-faced Wood QuailOdontophorus balliviani
Dark-backed Wood Quail

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by dushenkov. ↗

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