Status and recent sightings of ocellated quail JACK CLINTON EITNIEAR 1* and KNUT EISERMANN 2 1 Center for the Study of Tropical Birds, Inc., San Antonio, Texas, U.S.A. 2 PROEVAL RAXMU Bird Monitoring Program, Cobán, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. *Correspondence author - [email protected] Paper presented at the 2 nd Workshop on Neotropical Quail: status, conservation and research, 2006, Veracruz, Mexico. Abstract Ocellated quail is a poorly known and little studied species, rarely observed in the wild. It occurs from south western Mexico through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and north central Nicaragua. Montezuma and ocellated quail are biogeographically separated by the tropical lowlands of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, in south western Mexico and are believed to be allopatric replacement forms. Collections for museums and observations in the wild have been sparse over the last 50 years. This paper reports recent observations and their proximity to protected areas. Keywords Cyrtonyx, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Near-threatened, ocellated quail. Introduction threatened in 2004. Due to insufficient data (Data Deficient) a recent evaluation resulted in Johnsgard (1973) reports that ocellated quail retaining the current threat category (Birdlife Cyrtonyx ocellatus can be distinguished from its International, 2008). This paper reports on closest relative, the Montezuma quail C. recent sightings of the species in relation to montezumae of southern Mexico, by reduced protected areas within its range and suggests white lateral spotting to their anterior portions that its threat category should be upgraded to and dark chestnut posterior flank spots in Vulnerable. Montezuma quail. On male ocellated quails their midbreast and upper abdominal areas are much lighter, generally buffy or slightly tawny colour and instead of gray flanks with chestnut spotting they have chestnut flanks with black and gray cross-markings (FIG . 1). While separation of the male ocellatus and montezumae is fairly easy (by lack of the chestnut coloured flanks in ocellatus ), females are very similar (FIG . 2) with the only difference being that ocellatus is, on average, only slightly less buffy dorsally (Johnsgard, 1988). Binford (1989) states that in Mexico the species occurs from 1,000 - 3,000 m in upland oak- shrub vegetation. Similarly, in Central America, the species’ preferred habitat is considered to be open pine woodlands and adjacent grassy slopes and fields from 1,500 - 3,000 m in the central highlands (Howell & Webb, 1995). Considered as an “indicator species” of the pine-oak zone with its dense herbaceous understory, it feeds on acorns, bulb-bearing forbs and seeds of grasses and sedges. This flora is able to survive selective logging and infrequent fire, but is less tolerant of FIG . 1 Male ocellated quail, front, back, grazing. Considered Low Risk by the IUCN in side views (Photos: Tom Schulenberg - FMNH- 1988 the species was up-listed to Near- Chicago). © 2009 World Pheasant Association. International Journal of Galliformes Conservation, 1, 85–93 86 J. C. Eitniear and K. Eisermann inhospitable, so likely continue to provide some sanctuary for the quail, but verification that the species is extant in this area, at the periphery of the species range, is required. FIG . 2 Female ocellated quail (2 right specimens) and Montezuma quail females (2 FIG . 3 Ocellated quail sites in Mexico. 1) Cerro left specimens) (Photo: John P. O’Neill - LSU). Baul and Tapanatepec, Oaxaca; 2) Recent sightings near Ocosingo, Chiapas; 3) Parque Methods Nacional Lagos de Montebello & 4) Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve. Cyrtonyx quail are seldom recorded during avifaunal surveys due to their lack of "flushing" In Chiapas, Howell (1999) observed the quail behaviour. In addition to a literature review, we near Chanal. However, members of the NGO derived information on species status and PRONATURA:Chiapas studying the golden- distribution from a variety of sources including cheeked warblers Dendroica chrysoparia have data from museum specimens (ORNIS 2007), yet to confirm the species presence within the documented sightings from birdwatchers and pine-oak forest of the region (Claudia Macias birding tours, ornithologists in the region (often Caballero in litt .). studying other species within the same floral community) and individuals working on regional Communication with birding tour companies atlases. that visit the forest along the highway near Ocosingo en route to Tuxtla Gutiérrez, has Results resulted in only two sightings in over twenty roadside searches. The first in April 2005 was between Ocosingo and Comitán (Mark Mexico While the principle range of Montezuma quail is Stackhouse, [Westwings, Inc.] per. comm. ) and within Mexico, only a small portion of the range the second in March 2003 near Parque Nacional of ocellated quail is within the Republic. Lagunas de Montebello (Rick Taylor [Borderland Occurring from south eastern Oaxaca into Tours] per. comm.). It is reported (Birdlife International, 2008) that ocellatus is likely Chiapas (FIG . 3) only a few sightings have been occur in the Reserva de Biosfera Montes Azules recorded within the past few decades. as there is suitable pine-oak forest located in Historically (the majority in the 1960’s), a the north eastern section of the reserve at number of specimens (TABLE 1) have been altitudes greater than 850 m. Additionally, collected in Oaxaca, near the more coastal pine-oak forest suitable for the species can be areas of Cerro Baul and Tapanatepec at found in the 6,022 ha Parque Nacional Lagunas elevations of 1000 - 2000 m in regions composed of tropical evergreen and cloud forest de Montebello (Arizmendi & Márquez- as well as humid pine-oak (Binford, 1989). Valdelamar, 2000). However, it is doubtful that Mexico supports a viable population of ocellated While areas of human habitation are some distance away, the rural areas are populated by quail. Human encroachment into the highlands Mixteca Indians. The pine-oak canyons are and the limited amount of suitable habitat © 2009 World Pheasant Association. International Journal of Galliformes Conservation, 1, 85–93 Ocellated quail 87 (Gordillo-Martinez, 2000) are likely to result in MCZ161033 Hatillo the species being considered “en peligro de MCZ162755 Vasquez Mts extinción" (Endangered)” by the Government of MCZ162754 Monte Redondo Mexico. MCZ280195 Morazan UMMZ150015 Comayagua UMMZ150016 Comayagua TABLE 1. Ocellated quail specimens in museums (ORNIS, 2008). Identification number and El Salvador collection locality are given. FMNH=Field UCLA18275 Chalatenango Museum of Natural History; UCLA=University of UCLA18318 Chalatenango California:Los Angeles; MCZ=Museum of UCLA18373 Chalatenango Comparative Zoology:Harvard; UMM=University UCLA18383 Chalatenango of Michigan Museum; KUNHM=Kansas FMNH111222 Chalatenango University Natural History Museum; CU=Cornell University Museum Vertebrates; LSU=Lousiana Guatemala State University; WFVZ=Western Foundation According to the most recent vegetation for Vertebrate Zoology mapping (Ministerio de Agricultura Gandería y 2 Alimentación, 2006), 2,438 km at elevations of Mexico over 900 m support conifer forest, and 6,282 2 2 WFVZ16952 Oaxaca km mixed forest, a total of 8720 km of WFVZ16953 Oaxaca potential quail habitat in Guatemala. The WFVZ16951 Oaxaca largest fragments of habitat are available in the WFVZ12511 Oaxaca departments of Huehuetenango, Quiché, Baja WFVZ10921 Oaxaca Verapaz, San Marcos, Totonicapán, Sololá, and WFVZ8840 Chiapas Chimaltenango (FIG . 4, TABLE 2). WFVZ10923 Oaxaca WFVZ8841 Chiapas WFVZ10924 Oaxaca WFVZ10922 Oaxaca FMNH208639 Chiapas FMNH208638 Chiapas LSUMZ39410 Chiapas LSUMZ43420 Chiapas KUNHM103299 Chiapas UMMZ110112 Chiapas MCZ135452 Oaxaca Guatemala CU34085 Guatemala FMNH23332 Chimaltenango FMNH188191 Zacapa MCZ145693 Antigua MCZ193722 Zacapa MCZ193522 Zacapa MCZ193523 Zacapa KUNHM37191 Solola UMMZ155238 Zacapa FIG . 4 Areas of suitable habitat in Guatemala. Light green = quail habitat within protected Honduras areas, dark green = unprotected quail habitat, FMNH411464 Tegucigalpa FMNH411465 Tegucigalpa grey shade = protected areas (according to FMNH411466 Tegucigalpa CONAP, 2007). Numbers codify department FMNH411467 Tegucigalpa names (see TABLE 2). FMNH411468 Tegucigalpa FMNH411469 Tegucigalpa Of the 8,720 km 2 of potential habitat, only FMNH411975 Santa Barbara about 10% (900 km 2) is legally protected. The FMNH412670 Tegucigalpa protected areas covering more than 1% of the FMNH412671 Santa Barbara potential habitat of ocellated quail in Guatemala FMNH412672 Tegucigalpa FMNH412673 Tegucigalpa are, Área de Uso Múltiple Cuenca del Lago FMNH413620 Tegucigalpa Atitlán (3.2%), Reserva de Biosfera Sierra de FMNH414355 Yoro las Minas (2.0%), Reserva de Biosfera Visís MCZ158061 El Durrumbo Cabá (1.5%), and Parque Regional Altos de San MCZ161001 Hatillo Miguel Totonicapán (1.1%). MCZ161032 Cerro Cantoral © 2009 World Pheasant Association. International Journal of Galliformes Conservation, 1, 85–93 88 J. C. Eitniear and K. Eisermann In addition to low coverage by protected areas, within the next 10 years. In addition to the many of Guatemala's reserves lack appropriate growing human population, habitat is management, park rangers or other on-site threatened by mining. Of the available habitat presence of state authorities. Applying IUCN for ocellated quail, 2380 km 2 (27% of the total Red List criteria (IUCN, 2001; 2003), Eisermann habitat) are located within areas used or & Avendaño (2006) evaluated ocellated