Rufous-fronted Wood Quail

The rufous-fronted wood quail (Odontophorus erythrops) is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae, the New World quail. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador.

Taxonomy and systematics: The rufous-fronted wood quail has at various times been proposed or considered as conspecific with chestnut wood quail (Odonophorus hyperythrus), dark-backed wood quail (O. melanonotus), and rufous-breasted wood quail (O. speciosus). O. melanonotus has also been considered a subspecies of O. erythrops, and at least two other variations have been proposed as subspecies. As of 2021, rufous-fronted wood quail and chestnut wood quail are treated as a superspecies.

The rufous-fronted wood quail has two subspecies, the nominate O. e. erythrops and O. e. parambae. To complicate matters, the latter has also been considered to be a separate species.

 The rufous-fronted wood quail is 23 to long. Males weigh an estimated 340 g and females an estimated 329 g. The nominate male has a rufous crown, crest, and face, with a ring of bare purple skin around the eye. The back and rump can be black or olive, with black spots. The breast and belly are dark rufous. The female´s face is a darker and duller chestnut and the eye ring is blue-black. The juvenile is similar to the female but differs mostly by having black spots and bars on the belly. O. e. parambae has darker upperparts than the nominate and a white throat.

Distribution and habitat: The nominate subspecies of rufous-fronted wood quail is found in southwestern Ecuador. O. e. parambae is found more widely, on the Pacific slope of western Ecuador and western Colombia and in Colombia´s Magdalena Valley. They inhabit primary and secondary humid tropical forest, in Ecuador up to 1600 m but usually only as high as 1100 m in Colombia.

Feeding: The rufous-fronted wood quail´s diet has not been studied, but they have been noted coming to grain at lodge feeders.

Breeding: The rufous-fronted wood quail´s breeding season is believed to span from January to May. No other information about its breeding phenology has been published.

Vocalization: The rufous-fronted wood quail has at least two calls, a "rapidly repeated, ringing duet ´chowita, chowita, chowita´" and "a resonant ´koo-klaw, koo-klaw, koo-klaw´".

Status: The IUCN has assessed the rufous-fronted wood quail as being of Least Concern. The species is found in several protected areas, but outside them "[m]ajor threats include deforestation, and possibly hunting."