Fun Crested Bobwhite Facts For Kids
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The crested bobwhite is a species of bird that belongs to the order Galliformes, family Odontophoridae, and genus Odontophorus.
These birds are native residents of Venezuela and Colombia but the range of this small and colorful animal is extensive in nature and occurs over northern South America, Panama through Costa Rica, Aruba, and northeastern Brazil.
Colinus cristatus birds have found their habitat in open and seasonally wet grasslands, weedy fields, verdant meadows, and shrubby forest regions. This subspecies of birds earn its name due to the presence of its crest, a physical characteristic that is prominent in both sexes.
Both male and female birds are quite similar to one another in appearance and they can only be told apart by their size, length, and feather coloration.
This brown, black, and white speckled animal is social and likes to congregate in groups of between three and 20 birds, known as 'coveys'.
If you like what you read, do check out some more interesting facts and information about the bobwhite quail and the dove.
Crested Bobwhite Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a crested bobwhite?
The crested bobwhite is a species of bird. Its scientific name is Colinus cristatus. They belong to the order Galliformes, family Odontophoridae and genus Odontophorus.
What class of animal does a crested bobwhite belong to?
The Colinus cristatus are birds just like kea parrots that belong to the Aves class of animals. It belongs to the order Galliformes, family Odontophoridae and genus Odontophorus.
How many crested bobwhites are there in the world?
An accurate estimate of the population of the crested bobwhite (Colinus cristatus) is still unavailable. However, the range of this crested bird is fairly extensive, as it is believed to be a 'common' animal that occurs among various parts of Venezuela, Aruba, Panama, northern South America, and Colombia.
As the number and range of this species are both on the rise, they are classified as a species of Least Concern in their conservation status.
Where does a crested bobwhite live?
The Colinus cristatus is a common species. The crested bobwhite range covers Venezuela, Panama, Aruba, northern South America, to northeastern Brazil.
What is a crested bobwhite's habitat?
The Colinus cristatus can be found living in open pine woods or savannahs and shrubby forests.
Who do crested bobwhites live with?
Found in Panama, northern South America, and Venezuela, Colinus cristatus birds tend to travel in groups or small units. These groups are known as 'coveys' and consist of three to 20 members. Colinus cristatus birds only choose to live in isolation or in pairs when the breeding season rolls around.
How long does a crested bobwhite live?
The average lifespan of a bobwhite quail is six months to one year but they may survive up to five or six years in the wild. It is, however, worth mentioning that a quail rarely ever dies of old age as they are heavily hunted by various predators.
How do they reproduce?
Adult Colinus cristatus birds prepare for the breeding season from February. They separate into pairs by April. After mating, the quails busy themselves by building nests.
Once the nests are built and hidden in tall grass or shrubbery, the female birds lay eggs within a week's time. The breeding season usually continues up to August or September and the number of eggs varies between 10-15 in a clutch.
The incubation period lasts for 23 days. The female Colinus cristatus may choose to incubate the eggs herself but this may also be done by the male bird. Juvenile bobwhites grow fur and feathers within three to five weeks and develop into an adult within three to four months.
What is their conservation status?
The conservation status of the northern bobwhite is evaluated as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Their numbers are known to be increasing around the world.
Crested Bobwhite Fun Facts
What do crested bobwhites look like?
Bobwhites are recognized by their crests and plumage and from this, they are segregated into two subspecies. These are the spot-bellied bobwhite and the crested bobwhite.
The male Colinus cristatus is a small quail with a creamy chest, a black and white striped face, a grayish-black plumage, and a supercilium that is creamy to chestnut in color. The nape of the neck, breast, and belly of the male bird is black and white spotted.
A female quail is smaller and plumper compared to its male counterpart. Their crest is smaller, and their plumage is lighter in shade and also appears to be less marked.
They are spotted in colors of brown, white, and black on their breast, throat, and back. The female northern bobwhite also has buff eyebrows and throat with a stripe over the eye.
How cute are they?
The northern bobwhite may not have a significant position in the most beautiful birds of the world list, but their miniature size, docile nature, colorful crest, and buff throat make them an adorable species.
How do they communicate?
Male and female birds of this subspecies are known to communicate with one another via song, repeated whistles, bowing, wing quivering and other forms of presentation during the mating season.
How big is a crested bobwhite?
The Colinus cristatus is rather small in size. They have a length of 8.5-9.5 in (20-24 cm) on average They are bigger than a bee hummingbird which is 2.1-2.4 in (5.5-6.1 cm) in length.
How fast can a crested bobwhite fly?
The Colinus cristatus is predominantly a ground-dwelling bird. They prefer to walk or run and live on the ground rather than in treetops. However, the species is capable of strong bursts of flights to escape dangers or predators. The flight of the Colinus cristatus covers approximately 150 ft (46 m) and lasts anywhere between five to six seconds.
How much does a crested bobwhite weigh?
Belonging to the family Odontophoridae, the Colinus cristatus could very well hold a position among the lightest birds of the world. Male birds weigh around 4.6-5 oz (132-153 g) while their female counterparts weigh 4.6-4.9 oz (131-141 g). These birds weigh more than the Arctic tern that measures 3.5 oz (100 g).
What are the male and female names of the species?
There is no specific name for male and female adult crested bobwhite (Colinus cristatus) birds. They are simply known as male and female crested bobwhites.
What would you call a baby crested bobwhite?
Juvenile Colinus cristatus birds are simply called chicks. Thye grow up to become adult crested bobwhite (Colinus cristatus) birds.
What do they eat?
The crested bobwhite (Colinus cristatus) is omnivorous by nature. They are known to glean the ground for crops, seeds, berries, tender leaves, and green vegetation.
The species also requires a high protein diet and hence it is also known to depend on insects and small invertebrates like ticks, caterpillars, earthworms, grasshoppers, and more. During the breeding season, the diet of a Colinus cristatus also includes snail shells.
Are they poisonous?
No, the species is not poisonous by nature. In fact, the Colinus cristatus is rather harmless and they are usually the ones to be hunted by raccoons, possums, snakes, or sport hunters.
Would they make a good pet?
The Colinus cristatus is not ordinarily kept as a housepet as they do not serve many purposes but, they may be kept as pets in some areas. They do require a certain degree of care and a crested bobwhite quail for sale can be found in a few places around the world, such as Venezuela.
Did you know...
Colinus cristatus birds are polyamorous in nature and do not mate for life. Both adult males and females may move onto new partners during the breeding season. This breeding nature is extremely beneficial and productive as it helps restore their population since their eggs suffer from high predation rates.
Females breed as many as one to three clutches per year with each clutch consisting of 12-14 eggs on average.
How do you identify a crested bobwhite?
A crested bobwhite quail (bogotá crested bobwhite) is a tiny bird with a jutted-out chest and a bushy crest. The subspecies can be identified thanks to the presence of its prominent crest.
The neck, back, and breast of an adult male Colinus cristatus are speckled with white, brown, and black colors. Males do not have a buff throat, while females are smaller and their throat and head tend to be buff.
Are crested bobwhites endangered?
The crested bobwhite (Colinus cristatus) is not an endangered species. In fact, their range is quite expansive and they are a fairly common bird that can be found spread throughout their range map.
The bird occurs in various parts of Venezuela, Aruba, Panama, northern South America, Costa Rica, and Colombia. The population and range map of the species are also known to be increasing across the world map, making their conservation status Least Concern.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our rhinoceros hornbill facts and boreal chickadee facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable crested bobwhite coloring pages.
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