Montezuma Quail
Cyrtonyx montezumae
- 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 →
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
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 |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Montezuma Quail in Saguaro National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Montezuma Quail sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 34 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Montezuma Quail in Saguaro National Park?
May has the highest sighting rate for Montezuma Quail in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.