Montezuma Quail
Cyrtonyx montezumae
Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderGalliformes (Landfowl)
- FamilyOdontophoridae (New World Quails)
- GenusCyrtonyx (Montezuma and Ocellated Quails)
- SpeciesCyrtonyx montezumae (Montezuma Quail)
About the Montezuma Quail
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).
The Montezuma quail was formally described in 1830 by Irish zoologist Nicholas Aylward Vigors under the binomial name Ortyx montezumae based on a specimen collected in Mexico. This species is now placed in the genus Cyrtonyx that was introduced in 1844 by English ornithologist John Gould, with Montezuma quail as the type species. The specific epithet montezumae is from the name of the Aztec Emperor Moctezuma Xocoyotzin.
The southern populations are sometimes considered a separate species, Cyrtonyx sallei. The Montezuma quail, though, is sometimes considered conspecific with the very similar ocellated quail, Cyrtonyx ocellatus, which replaces it from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to northern Nicaragua.
The two recognized subspecies are: C. m. mearnsi Nelson, 1900 - southwest United States and northern Mexico C. m. montezumae (Vigors, 1830) – nominate – central Mexico (includes C. m. merriami... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Montezuma Quail in Big Bend National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Big Bend National Park
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |