About the Crested Bobwhite
The crested bobwhite is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae. It is found in northern South America, extending through Panama to just reach Costa Rica. It also occurs on Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, and heavily degraded former forest.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
Adult crested bobwhite are about 178 to 216 millimetres (7.0 to 8.5 in) long. The sexes are very similar in appearance. The long feathers on the fore-head and crown are pale buff or white, and the crest feathers may be dark. The back and sides of the neck are marbled in black and white and the throat is white or buff, sometimes spotted with black. The upper parts are mottled black, brown and grey. The underparts are pale, with buff, cinnamon and black markings. The eye is brown, the beak black and the legs bluish-grey. The female is slightly browner than the male.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Costa Rica, El Salvador.
When to see it
Peak activity in October · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Spot-bellied BobwhiteColinus leucopogonThis species is 22–24 cm long and shows geographically variable male plumage amongst its six subspecies.
Yucatan BobwhiteColinus nigrogularisThe male and female Yucatan bobwhite differ in appearance.
Northern BobwhiteColinus virginianusThe northern bobwhite is a moderately-sized quail, and is the only small galliform native to eastern North America.
Learn the Crested Bobwhite for real
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