Appearance
The dark-backed wood quail is 23 to 28 cm long. Both males and females weigh about 322 g. Adults of both sexes are overall brownish black with fine chestnut vermiculation. The throat and breast are reddish chestnut. The juvenile is similarly colored but duller overall.Distribution
The dark-backed wood quail is found in the Andes from southern Colombia's Nariño Department south to Cotopaxi Province in Ecuador.Status
The IUCN has assessed the dark-backed wood quail as vulnerable. "This species has a small and fragmented range, with recent records from few sites. Available habitat, and presumably the population, is declining."Habitat
It inhabits primary and secondary tropical forest in the fairly narrow altitudinal band between 1,100 and 2,200 m. Though primarily terrestrial, it roosts above ground in trees.Reproduction
Almost nothing is known about the dark-backed wood quail's breeding phenology. Observations of recently hatched chicks and dependent young in many different months indicate a long breeding season or possibly two of them.Food
The dark-backed wood quail forages in groups of up to 10 birds seeking terrestrial invertebrates and fruit.References:
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