Crested bobwhite

Scientific name: Colinus cristatus

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Males display a prominent crest, rufous-chestnut face with white throat and eyebrow stripe, and scaled grey-brown upperparts; females are duller with buff markings and less contrasting facial pattern. Both sexes show a compact, round body typical of quail.

Size and weight

Adults weigh 140–180 g; body length 20–24 cm. Sexes similar in size, though males average slightly heavier.

Habitat

Crested bobwhites occupy grasslands, savannas, scrublands, and weedy agricultural areas with scattered shrubs and open ground. They prefer elevations from sea level to 2,400 m, favoring areas with mixed herbaceous cover and low woody vegetation.

Distribution

Range spans Colombia, Venezuela, and the Guyana Shield through to central Brazil and eastern Peru. They inhabit lowland savannas, transitional grasslands, and second-growth scrub in tropical and subtropical regions.

Diet

Crested bobwhites feed on seeds (grass and forb seeds dominant), insects (especially in breeding season), and small fruits; they scratch and glean at ground level.

Behaviour

Highly social and diurnal, often found in coveys that roost on the ground at night; they run rather than flush when disturbed and freeze in dense grass. Movement is typically on foot with brief flights only when pressed.

Hunting tips

Locate birds by walking slowly through open grassland margins and listening for distinctive calls in early morning and late afternoon. Look for scratch marks and grouped droppings near feeding areas. Approach into wind through taller grass, moving deliberately to flush coveys; mark landing zones and work each sector methodically, as birds often relocate short distances within the same territory.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 1 country in Huntify.

Honduras

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.