Black-eared Wood Quail
Odontophorus melanotis
- Family
- New World Quail (Odontophoridae)
- Order
- Galliformes
Overview
The black-eared wood quail (Odontophorus melanotis) is a bird species in the order Galliformes. Until recently, the species was thought to be part of the family Phasianidae (Old World quail) however DNA-DNA hybridization results determined that black-eared wood quail are only distantly related to Old World quail. As a result, black-eared wood quail have been placed in the family Odontophoridae (New World quail) and more specifically, in the category of wood quail (genus Odontophorus).
There is limited information available on this species, but black-eared wood quail are considered to be forest-adapted, monogamous, relatively large pheasant-like birds that can be found in tropical and subtropical forests of Central America.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Continents
Countries
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Black-eared wood quail
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.