New World Quails (Odontophoridae)

Crested Bobwhite (Colinus cristatus) - HBW 2, p. 427

French: Colin huppé German: Haubenwachtel Spanish: Colín Crestudo

Taxonomy: Tetrao cristatus Linnaeus, 1766, Mexico, Guiana = Curaçao.
Often considered conspecific with C. leucopogon. Race leucotis has been considered distinct species. Validity of several Venezuelan races possibly in question, due to overlapping distribution and lack of barriers. Nominate race sometimes subdivided, with recognition of race continentis. Type locality of species questionable. Thirteen subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

mariae Wetmore, 1962 - Chiriquí area, Panama.
panamensis Dickey & van Rossem, 1930 - Pacific slope of W Panama.
decoratus (Todd, 1917) - Caribbean coast of Colombia.

See all 13 subspecies

mariae Wetmore, 1962 - Chiriquí area, Panama.
panamensis Dickey & van Rossem, 1930 - Pacific slope of W Panama.
decoratus (Todd, 1917) - Caribbean coast of Colombia.
cristatus (Linnaeus, 1766) - NE Colombia and NW Venezuela, in and near Guajira Peninsula; Curaçao and Aruba, where possibly introduced.
littoralis (Todd, 1917) - N base of Santa Marta Mts, NE Colombia.
badius Conover, 1938 - Cauca Valley to W slope of Western Andes, W Colombia.
leucotis (Gould, 1844) - upper and middle sections of Magdalena Valley, and middle Sinú Valley, C Colombia.
bogotensis Dugand, 1943 - E Andes in Boyacá and Cundinamarca, NC Colombia.
parvicristatus (Gould, 1843) - C Colombia (E slope of E Andes in Boyacá and Cundinamarca, through Meta and llanos) to SC Venezuela (NW Bolívar and N Amazonas).
horvathi (Madaràsz, 1904) - Andes of Mérida, NW Venezuela.
barnesi Gilliard, 1940 - Portuguesa and Barinas, WC Venezuela.
mocquerysi (Hartert, 1894) - Sucre, N Monagas and N Anzoátegui, NE Venezuela.
sonnini (Temminck, 1815) - Carabobo and Caracas, NC Venezuela, S through Orinoco Basin and Guianas to N Brazil.