Stripe-faced Wood Quail

The stripe-faced wood quail (Odontophorus balliviani) is a species of New World quail. It is found in Bolivia and Peru.

Taxonomy and systematics: The specific epithet of the stripe-faced wood quail commemorates José Ballivián, President of Bolivia at the time of the naming. It is monotypic.

 The stripe-faced wood quail is 26 to long. Males are estimated to weigh 311 g and females 324 g. The male has a brown face with a patch of bare red skin around the eye and a black line under it. The crown and crest are chestnut with a buff border. The back and rump are brown with black vermiculation. The throat is buff with white streaks and the breast and belly are brown with white diamond-shaped spots. The female is similar, but is paler brown above and more rufous below.

Distribution and habitat: The stripe-faced wood quail is found on the east slope of the Andes in southeastern Peru´s Cuzco and Puno Provinces and western Bolivia´s La Paz and Cochabamba Departments. It inhabits subtropical montane forest that has many tree ferns, bamboos, and epiphytes. The forest varieties include primary and young secondary forest and stunted cloudforest; it is also found in clearings, wet meadows, and gulleys. In elevation it typically ranges from 1000 to but is occasionally found as low as 800 m in Peru.

Feeding: No information about the stripe-faced wood quail´s foraging behavior or diet has been published.

Breeding: Almost nothing is known about the stripe-faced wood quail´s breeding phenology. It has been noted singing regularly during May in Bolivia. The eggs measure in length and width.

Vocalization: The stripe-faced wood quail´s advertising call is "a rapidly repeated ´whydlyi-i, whydlyi-i....´" given by both members of a pair. They also have a harsh rattling alarm call and chirps that appear to be contact calls.

Status: The IUCN has assessed the stripe-faced wood quail as being of Least Concern. However, its population size is not known and is perhaps declining. "Threats possibly include deforestation, urbanization and agriculture."