Cyrtonyx montezumae, Montezuma quail
Sullivan, Janet. 1994. Cyrtonyx montezumae, Montezuma quail. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/cymo
| Abbreviation | Common Name | Scientific Name | Classification | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animals | ||||
| CYMO | Montezuma quail | Cyrtonyx montezumae | Life Form: Animals/Bird Kingdom: Animalia Class: Bird Order: Galliformes Family: Odontophoridae Genus: Cyrtonyx | Fed. Protected: Yes Nativity: Native Invasiveness: Noninvasive |
Taxonomy
The currently accepted scientific name for Montezuma quail is Cyrtonyx montezumae (Vigors). It is a member of the pheasant family, Phasianidae [10,17,20]. Subspecies accepted by some authorities include:
- C. m. ssp. mearnsi Nelson, Mearn's quail [10]
- C. m. ssp. merriami Nelson, Merriam's Montezuma quail [10]
- C. m. ssp. montezumae (Vigors) [10,17]
- C. m. ssp. rowleyi Phillips [10]
- C. m. ssp. sallei Verreaux, Salle's quail [10,17]
Synonyms
- No entry
Other Common Names
harlequin quail, fool quail
General Distribution
The Montezuma quail is resident locally from central and southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, and extreme southwestern Texas south in Mexico to Oaxaca [6,18]. Distributions of subspecies are as follows [10]:
- Cyrtonyx montezumae ssp. mearnsi occurs from west-central Texas, central New Mexico, and central Arizona south to northern Coahuila.
- Cyrtonyx montezumae ssp. merriami occurs in Veracruz, in the vicinity of Mount Orizaba.
- Cyrtonyx montezumae ssp. montezumae occurs in Michoacan, Oaxaca, Distrito Federal, Hidalgo, Puebla, northern and eastern Nuevo Leon, and west-central Tamaulipas.
- Cyrtonyx montezumae ssp. rowleyi occurs in Guerreo.
- Cyrtonyx montezumae ssp. sallei occurs from Michoacan south through Guerreo to east-central Oaxaca.
States and Provinces
- United States: AZ, NM, TX
Plant Communities
Montezuma quail are found in pine-oak (Pinus spp.–Quercus spp.) woodlands and oak scrub with an understory of bunchgrasses and forbs [6,10,17]. The range of Montezuma quail ends at the pine-oak woodlands of central Mexico and similar oak woods in the southwestern United States. In Arizona, Montezuma quail occur primarily in oak-grasslands, and in New Mexico they are restricted to montane habitats in scattered mountain ranges dominated by rank grasses [10].
Biological Characteristics
Development and Reproduction
- Nesting: The breeding season of Montezuma quail is relatively late; monogamous pairing occurs from March to May and nesting occurs from late June to as late as the last half of September. This timing coordinates with timing of summer rains, which increase plant growth and insects [10,14].
- Clutch Size and Incubation: Montezuma quail clutches range in size from 6 to 14 eggs, with an average clutch of 11 eggs [14]. For captive birds, eggs were laid at a rate of about one egg every 3 days, which is probably slower than for wild birds [10]. Incubation takes 25 or 26 days, with minor participation by the male. Males are the primary defenders of the nest [7].
- Development of Young: Newly hatched chicks are mobile and downy. They follow their parents, who show them how to find food [7]. The chicks eat insects, seeds, and bulbs [10]. Fledging occurs about 10 days after hatching [7]. Young birds forage independently by 2 weeks of age. For captive birds, adult weights are reached by about 10 to 11 weeks of age [10].
- Covey Formation: Most fall coveys are composed of family units [10] and range in size from 6 to 10 birds. Coveys occupy relatively small home ranges [7]. Leopold and McCabe [14] estimated that ranges encompassed an area 200 yards (180 m) in radius. They reported, however, that coveys tended to move over a wider range for a short period in autumn before establishing the home range [14].
Predators
No entry.
Habitat
Diet
Montezuma quail coveys feed in close groups by digging bulbs, foraging for fruit, and ground-gleaning for seeds and insects. The bulk of the winter diet is comprised of bulbs of succulent forbs [6]. Winter foods in order of importance include the bulbs of chufa flatsedge (Cyperus esculentus), nutgrass (Cyperus rotunda) and other sedges (Cyperus spp.), acorns, sunflower (Helianthus spp.) seeds, Brodiaea spp. bulbs, and prickly pear (Opuntia spp.) [10,14,15]. Acorns of Gambel oak (Quercus gambellii) are important in southeastern Arizona; in one study acorns made up as much as 40 percent of Montezuma quail diets [2,16].
In summer, woodsorrel (Oxalis spp.) bulbs are consumed [15]. Additional foods include seeds of legumes, grasses, and true pinyon (Pinus edulis), and juniper (Juniperus spp.) "berries" [18].
According to Martin and others [15] the animal portion of the winter diet of Montezuma quail is limited. Animals taken include beetles (particularly ground beetles, darkling beetles, and weevils), caterpillars, fly larvae, spiders, and centipedes [15]. Animal foods are taken in quantity during the summer months, or whenever available [10,14].
If the supply of succulent foods is adequate, the Montezuma quail can manage without access to surface water [10,14].
Preferred Habitat
The Montezuma quail prefers shaded grassy oak canyons, wooded mountain slopes with bunchgrasses and bulb-producing forbs in the understory, and rocky ravines [6]. Breeding habitat is the same [7].
Montezuma quail are found from from 3,500 to 10,000 feet (1,060-3,000 m) in elevation [10,17]. There is some altitudinal migration with the season; upward movements in the summer probably do not exceed a few miles [10].
Cover Requirements
Hiding Cover: Montezuma quail are typically associated with dense, tall grasses; foraging for bulbs occurs almost exclusively from grass cover that is at least 1 foot (0.3 m) tall [1].
Nesting Cover: Montezuma quail nests are depressions scratched in the ground at the base of trees, next to boulders, under shrubs, or in grassy meadows [66]. They are lined and covered with dry grasses [18].
Fire-caused Mortality
No specific information on the direct effect of fire on Montezuma quail was available in the literature. Even though this species inhabits areas that experience moderately frequent fire, it is unlikely that direct mortality from fire is a major threat to Montezuma quail. Adult birds would easily escape fire, and young birds are flightless for only a very short time. Nests and young birds may be vulnerable to fire, but nesting usually occurs when summer rains make fires unlikely.
Fire Effects on Habitat
Fire stimulates sprouting of Gambel oak, and may therefore result in an increase in acorn availability [5]. The ponderosa pine-grasslands or ponderosa pine-Gambel oak woodlands which Montezuma quail inhabits are maintained by frequent fire. In many areas of the Southwest, fires in ponderosa pine-grasslands occurred almost annually during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In areas where the landscape is more dissected, fire-free intervals were generally 25 to 40 years. Wildfire suppression, coupled with grazing, has led to pronounced changes in the character and physiognomy of ponderosa pine woodlands. Increased shrub and tree density and conversion of woodland to forest have led to increased risk of intense, catastrophic wildfires [21].
Fire Regimes
For fire regime information, search FEIS for this species by entering the species name or acronym on the home page and selecting “Fire Regime” as the publication type.
Fire Management Considerations
Prescribed fire can be used to stimulate sprouting of Gambel oak, a species that may be important in Montezuma quail diets. Prescribed fire can be used to maintain ponderosa pine-Gambel oak or ponderosa pine-grasslands in an open condition, which would improve habitat for Montezuma quail [21]. Prescribed fire is sometimes used, however, to reduce cover, density, and frequency of Gambel oak. According to Clary and Tiedemann [5], elimination of Gambel oak eliminates wildlife habitat and represents short-sighted management.
An extensive body of research has been published on fire effects on animals in semidesert grassland, oak savanna, and Madrean oak woodlands of southeastern Arizona, including the response of Montezuma quail to fire. See the Research Project Summary of this work for more information on Montezuma quail and more than 100 additional species of birds, small mammals, grasshoppers, and herbaceous and woody plant species.
Federal Status
Merriam's Montezuma quail is Endangered [23].
Other Status
Information on state- and province-level protection status of animals in the United States and Canada is available at NatureServe, although recent changes in status may not be included.
Other Management Information
Management of Montezuma quail includes maintenance of winter habitat since this quail is a year-round resident. Winter habitat requirements include areas where bulbs and acorns are available [7].
Montezuma quail density even in good habitat is usually low; an estimate of one bird per 10 hectare was reported for northern Chihuahua [14].
Populations of Montezuma quail in undisturbed habitat tend to fluctuate annually; reproductive success is positively correlated with the amount of summer precipitation in any given year. Any factors reducing the amount of tall grass cover have an adverse effect on Montezuma quail. In western Texas, the Montezuma quail is now only local and rare because a large percentage of its native range has disappeared due to overgrazing [10]. Heavy grazing reduces tall grass cover and increases patchiness of the remaining cover. Grazing 46 to 50 percent of an area produces marginal conditions for Montezuma quail; heavier grazing eliminates the quail [1].
Reducing Gambel oak stands for timber or grazing improvements could reduce habitat value by reducing the acorns available for Montezuma quail and other wildlife species in autumn and winter [16].
Table A1— Forest and range ecosystems, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) physiographic regions, Kuchler plant associations, Society for American Foresters (SAF) forest cover types, and Society for Rangeland Management (SRM) rangeland cover types in which this species occurs.
Forest and Range Ecosystems (Garrison et al. 1977)
- FRES21 Ponderosa pine
BLM Physiographic Regions (Bernard and Brown 1977)
- 7 Lower Basin and Range
- 13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont
Kuchler Plant Associations (Kuchler 1964)
- K019 Arizona pine forest
SAF Cover Types (Eyre 1980)
- 237 Interior ponderosa pine
- 241 Western live oak
SRM Rangeland Cover Types (Shiflet 1994)
- No entry
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