Montezuma Quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae)
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Montezuma Quail

Cyrtonyx montezumae (Vigors, 1830)

185 gWeight

The Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae) is a stubby, secretive New World quail of Mexico and some nearby parts of the United States.

Busiest months: May · Most records: United States, Mexico

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: May · Most records: United States, Mexico

Montezuma Quail has been recorded at 19 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Davis Mountains SPUnited States1,229 records
  2. Ash Canyon Bird SanctuaryUnited States1,144 records
  3. Florida Canyon – lowerUnited States813 records
More places
  1. Madera Canyon – Proctor Rd.United States327 records
  2. Cave Creek Canyon – South ForkUnited States283 records
  3. Madera Canyon – Santa Rita LodgeUnited States228 records
  4. Ramsey Canyon PreserveUnited States193 records
  5. PortalUnited States137 records
  6. Patagonia Lake State ParkUnited States97 records
  7. Patagonia Lake SP – Birding TrailUnited States77 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United StatesMexico

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 Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae) is a stubby, secretive New World quail of Mexico and some nearby parts of the United States. It is also known as Mearns's quail, the harlequin quail (for the male's striking pattern), and the fool quail (for its behavior).

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

Questions

How big is the Montezuma Quail?

The Montezuma Quail weighs around 185 g.

Where does the Montezuma Quail live?

Its breeding range: North America, Middle America: southwestern US, Mexico. It is most often recorded in United States and Mexico.

When is the best time to see the Montezuma Quail?

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

Is the Montezuma Quail endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Montezuma Quail as Least Concern.

What does the Montezuma Quail eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Montezuma Quail in?

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

At a glance

Weight
185 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Omnivore
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
118 mm
Tail
43 mm
Bill
16 mm
Tarsus
28 mm

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

Range

North America, Middle America: southwestern US, Mexico

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
New World Quail Odontophoridae
Genus
Cyrtonyx

Other birds in the genus Cyrtonyx

Ocellated QuailOcellated QuailCyrtonyx ocellatusStone PartridgeStone PartridgePtilopachus petrosusNahan's PartridgeNahan's PartridgePtilopachus nahaniBuffy-crowned Wood PartridgeBuffy-crowned Wood PartridgeDendrortyx leucophrysLong-tailed Wood PartridgeLong-tailed Wood PartridgeDendrortyx macrouraBearded Wood PartridgeBearded Wood PartridgeDendrortyx barbatusMountain QuailMountain QuailOreortyx pictusScaled QuailScaled QuailCallipepla squamataElegant QuailElegant QuailCallipepla douglasiiCalifornia QuailCalifornia QuailCallipepla californica
Montezuma Quail

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

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