Overview
The sexes are very similar in appearance. The long feathers on the fore-head and crown are pale buff or white, and the crest feathers may be dark. The back and sides of the neck are marbled in black and white and the throat is white or buff, sometimes spotted with black. The upper parts are mottled black, brown and grey. The underparts are pale, with buff, cinnamon and black markings. The eye is brown, the beak black and the legs bluish-grey. The female is slightly browner than the male.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Bird
- Family
- Odontophoridae
- Genus
- Colinus
- Species
- cristatus
Habitat
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, and heavily degraded former forest.
Diet
Buds, shoots, leaves and small invertebrates.
Behavior
The crested bobwhite occurs in small groups on the ground in or near thick cover and its behaviour is rather similar to that of the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). The male's call, heard in the breeding season, is distinctive; a fast, husky, three-syllable quoit bob-white or a two-syllable oh, wheet.
Hunting
Upland game bird most effectivily hunted with bird dogs.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern by IUCN.