Russet-crowned Quail-Dove

The russet-crowned quail-dove, Zentrygon goldmani, presents a striking figure with its russet brown crown and nape, contrasted by a lighter forehead. The male's plumage is adorned with a black malar stripe and a purple-tinged brown upperparts and wings. The throat and breast are a soft gray, transitioning to a whitish gray belly and brown flanks. The eye is a vivid orange, encircled by a red rim set in bare gray skin, with a distinctive red spot before the eye. The legs and feet are a robust red. Females exhibit a brown-tinged gray breast and less reddish-brown wings, while juveniles display a dull buffy cinnamon upperparts and dusky brown underparts with reddish buff feather edges.

Identification Tips

Adult males range from 26.5 to 28.5 cm in length, while females are slightly larger at 27 to 28 cm. Both sexes weigh approximately 258 g. The russet-crowned quail-dove can be identified by its unique coloration, the male's black malar stripe, and the red features around its eye.

Habitat

This species favors subtropical forests in foothills and lower highlands, thriving at elevations between 750 and 1,600 meters, though it can be found as low as 90 meters in Colombia.

Distribution

The russet-crowned quail-dove is a resident bird found from Panama's eastern Panamá Province through Darién Province into extreme northwestern Colombia. Two subspecies are recognized: the nominate Z. g. goldmani and Z. g. oreas, with the latter found in eastern Panama but west of the nominate's range.

Behaviour

The russet-crowned quail-dove is typically a ground feeder, favoring seeds as its primary diet.

Song & calls

Its song is characterized by a single, slightly overslurred note 'wOuu', which may sometimes sound bi-syllabic.

Breeding

Currently, there is a lack of detailed knowledge regarding the breeding phenology of the russet-crowned quail-dove.

Conservation status

The IUCN has classified the russet-crowned quail-dove as Near Threatened due to its small range and population decline caused by habitat loss. Further research and surveys are necessary to establish its population size and trends.