Dendrortyx barbatus
bearded wood partridge
(Also: bearded wood-partridge)

Bearded wood-partridges are found in the Neotropical region, in Mexico. They make their home mainly along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, in the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range and the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca pine-oak forests. There are significant populations of bearded wood-partridges in Veracruz, as well as in Quetaro, Puebla, Hidalgo, and San Luis Potosi. ("ITIS Standard Report Page: Dendrortyx barbatus", 2006; Butler, 2006)

Bearded wood-partridges make their homes in dense and humid pine-oak, cloud, and second-growth forests that are often quite secluded. They have also been known to live in shade coffee plantations and other agricultural habitats. These birds are riparian and will often stay close to small rivers and streams. ("BirdLife Species Factsheet", 2006; Edwards, 1972; Edwards, 1998; Gale, 2005)

Bearded wood-partridges are one of the larger species of partridge. Overall, they are a brownish reddish color with wings that are darker and mottled with black and tan. They have a gray-blue head and neck, with a small, brown crest. They have other gray streaks around the mantle and chest. The underside is a light brown, and they have distinctive red legs, bill, and eye-ring. They are usually between 400 and 460 g in weight and 22 to 36 cm in length. The sexes are alike in appearance, but males are larger. ("BirdLife Species Factsheet", 2006; Elphick, et al., 2001; Gale, 2005)

Males use vocal calls in courtship. Although specific information on the mating system for this species could not be found, close relatives of bearded wood-partridges are monogamous. Once a male and female pair up, they behave aggressively towards other males and females. (Eitniear, et al., 2001; Elphick, et al., 2001)

Little is currently known about the reproductive behavior of bearded wood-partridges. Captive birds often have broods of 5 chicks, construct nests in shallow holes in the ground and line them with palm leaves. Partridges in general usually have only one brood per year. Bearded wood-partridges breed between April and June. Close relatives of bearded wood-partridges incubate eggs for approximately 18 days. The chicks are precocial, develop rapidly and are often capable of short flight within 7 to 14 days. The nest is not reused. Time to independence is not known but individuals reach sexual maturity between one and two years. (Elphick, et al., 2001; Gale, 2005)

Bearded wood-partridges are generally monogamous and both parents play a role in taking care of the offspring. The female does most of the incubating but occasionally the male will help incubate the eggs. The young are precocial and begin foraging with their parents soon after hatching. The mother and father work together to defend their territory and to provide the chicks with food. (Edwards, 1972; Elphick, et al., 2001)

Nothing is known for certain about the life-span of bearded wood-partridges but partridges in general have a life-span of between 1 and 5 years. Close relatives of bearded wood-partridges have an average life-span of around 3 years. (Elphick, et al., 2001)

Bearded wood-partridges are a social species and form groups or "convoys." They spend most of their time on the ground in thickets and roost in small trees or tall shrubs. They are wary and are easily frightened; many locals hear the birds call but never see them. (Elphick, et al., 2001; Gale, 2005; Stiles and Skutch, 1989)

Because these birds are generally monogamous, once a bond pair forms, the two birds defend a "mobile territory." This is a relatively small area that both the male and female will defend from others. This territory moves with the birds as they travel. (Elphick, et al., 2001)

Bearded wood-partridges are known locally for their chorus calls. These birds usually call at dawn or dusk, and choruses last 15 to 20 minutes; it is considered a way for the birds to announce their location to each other and to other flocks. Calls of males are a series of loud, shrill whistles, often with three or four syllables; females have a softer call with more syllables. ("BirdLife Species Factsheet", 2006; Eitniear, et al., 2001)

Little is known about the feeding habits of bearded wood-partridges but, like their close relatives, they eat fruits, nuts, berries, vegetation and small invertebrates. They scratch the leaf litter and ground in search of food. Bearded wood-partridges often eat crops such as beans and corn near their homes. In captivity bearded wood-partridges have been observed to eat beans, corns, grapes, and bananas. (Edwards, 1972; Elphick, et al., 2001; Gale, 2005)

Bearded wood-partridges have been hunted by humans. Because they often live near or even within agricultural fields or crops, the locals look at them as pests and thus take measures against them. No other specific natural predators are known, but it is likely that many small to medium-sized predators, including cat species and birds of prey may take these partridges. Their cryptic coloration helps them to blend into the undergrowth in habitats they occupy and their flocking behavior means that more eyes are watching for predators at any given time. (Eitniear, et al., 2001)

Bearded wood-partridges are mainly primary consumers, feeding on fruits, nuts and seeds. As a result, they aid plants in reproduction by dispersing some plant seeds. These birds also dig in the soil for invertebrates and other food, which helps to break up the soil and allow more water and air to enter. (Elphick, et al., 2001)

Humans hunt bearded wood-partridges for sport and for food, but these birds are not otherwise of great economic importance to humans. (Aguilar, 2006)

Because humans have moved into much of the habitat of the bearded wood-partridges, these birds often forage for food on agricultural land, and are therefore considered crop pests in some places. (Aguilar, 2006)

Due to habitat destruction (housing and agricultural development) and hunting, these birds are now considered locally extinct in some areas of Mexico and are listed as a species in high risk of extinction in the wild. Bearded wood-partridges are currently classified as "vulnerable" on the IUCN red list. They were first listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 1988, and were reassessed by BirdLife International in 2005. It is estimated that there are fewer than 5,400 individuals in the world. Though recent studies suggest there are more individuals than estimated, populations continue to decline.

Few measures have been taken to help increase the bearded wood-partridge population, but several conservation awareness programs targeted towards villages near partridge habitat have been proposed. This species was successfully reintroduced to Xalapa in 2005. Ongoing research if focused on learning more about these birds so that they can be better protected. (Aguilar, 2006; Butler, 2006; Eitniear, et al., 2001)