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Montezuma Quail

Cyrtonyx montezumae (Vigors, NA 1830)

Related taxa:
Partial list of sound recordings available from xeno-canto & macaulaylibrary.org.
Species name Recordist Date Location Remarks Cat.nr.
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae mearnsi Richard E. Webster 2015-06-01 Portal, Arizona, Cochise (United States) (1400 m) female-male duet and/or interactions between and within pairs -

the same five or six birds (three pairs?) spread around over 120 degrees, and I moved back and forth; a variety of female and male song-calls, often given in a paired fashion, but also separately; second half of recording generally louder, with loudest female songs after 6:49; I did see birds briefly a couple of times, but really have no idea what was going on; third recording of these birds, this the first portion

bird-seen:yes

playback-used:no

254971
xeno-canto.org
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae Benjamin Guo 2022-11-15 , Santa Cruz (United States)   -   504162811
macaulaylibrary.org
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae mearnsi Richard E. Webster 2015-06-01 Portal, Arizona, Cochise (United States) (1400 m) female-male duet and/or interactions between and within pairs; contact calls -

the same five or six birds (three pairs?) spread around over 120 degrees, and I moved back and forth; a variety of female and male song-calls, often given in a paired fashion, but also separately; second half of recording generally louder, with loudest female songs after 5:42; I did see birds briefly a couple of times, but really have no idea what was going on; third recording of these birds, this the second portion; the amount of spring vocalizing by this species this year was unusual (at least over the last decade plus of drought); note soft contact notes after 4:17

bird-seen:yes

playback-used:no

254973
xeno-canto.org
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae mearnsi Richard E. Webster 2015-05-20 Crest Trail, Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise (United States) (2600 m) call on flushing -

female flushed after I had recorded contact calls by male separately; contact calls, probably by female, but could be by either/both

bird-seen:yes

playback-used:no

254983
xeno-canto.org
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae Paul Marvin 2012-04-04 Davis Mountains State Park, Jeff Davis Co, Texas, Jeff Davis (United States) (1500 m) call -

quiet calls from one of a feeding male/female pair at close range, at bird feeding station

bird-seen:yes

playback-used:no

147369
xeno-canto.org
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae mearnsi Richard E. Webster 2013-04-21 Onion Saddle, Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona, Cochise (United States) (2200 m) call, female, interaction calls of female and male, male, mechanical like wing s -

This was the male (no 2) that had run closer to the original singing bird, and was joined by a female; these are the interactions of the two at close range, including them crunching through vegetation; not sure what the mechanical ? noise at the start and after 0:27 is other than it was by the quail (wing flaps?); per BNA, no mechanical sounds known, but this sounds like purposeful mechanical noise Male No 1 heard in background

bird-seen:yes

playback-used:no

254991
xeno-canto.org
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae mearnsi Richard E. Webster 2015-05-28 Portal, Arizona, Cochise (United States) (1400 m) contact call -

bird-seen:no

playback-used:no

254981
xeno-canto.org
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae David Tattersley 2025-04-30 Hereford, Cochise County, Arizona, Cochise (United States) (1500 m) song - [sono] 1000188
xeno-canto.org
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae Paul Marvin 2013-04-24 Huachuca Canyon - bridge at 0.2 miles, Cochise County, AZ, Cochise (United States) (1600 m) song -

bird-seen:no

playback-used:no

147368
xeno-canto.org
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae mearnsi Richard E. Webster 2015-06-01 Portal, Arizona, Cochise (United States) (1400 m) female-male duet and/or interactions between pairs -

functionally, seems like song rather than call, and to be arranged as 'duet' or at least as a song and a response; second recording of these individuals, of which there were at least four, and a growing element of interaction between the pairs

bird-seen:no

playback-used:no

254970
xeno-canto.org
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae mearnsi Richard E. Webster 2013-04-21 Onion Saddle, Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona, Cochise (United States) (2200 m) call, male -

Individual No 3 recorded here today

bird-seen:no

playback-used:no

254993
xeno-canto.org
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae mearnsi Richard E. Webster 2013-04-21 Onion Saddle, Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona, Cochise (United States) (2200 m) call, female, male, male hoot, song -

this male was responding to the birds I had been taping originally, running closer to them (and me); both calls (standard male song-call and a guttural hoot) apparently made by this male in the context of some interaction with or pursuit of the female and rival male; song of original female in background; vocalizations quiet in first half of recording, best after 1:52 for about 30 seconds

bird-seen:yes

playback-used:no

254988
xeno-canto.org
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae Diana Doyle 2019-11-01 Hereford, Cochise County, Arizona, Cochise (United States) (2300 m) call, sex uncertain -

This is the assembly call of a Montezuma Quail covey, as they moved downslope into a small canyon. There were several, 6-10 individuals. In this recording you can hear two individuals calling, one closer and the other responding immediately afterward. The interval of the songs is natural. The location is placed at the parking area/campground, rather than the precise location in the very general broad vicinity of Carr Peak, because this species is sometimes too enthusiastically chased by birders and also the hunting season opens soon.

bird-seen:yes

playback-used:no

505242
xeno-canto.org
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae mearnsi Richard E. Webster 2020-06-03 Rucker Canyon, Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise (United States) (1800 m) adult, pair contact calls, sex uncertain -

I had flushed a pair that landed somewhat apart, and I waited, and there were high, piping contact notes, I believe by the male, and eventually some different, louder calls after 1:56, I believe by the female, and eventually I saw the male running rapidly uphill and presumably they were re-united because they went quiet;

bird-seen:yes

playback-used:no

610550
xeno-canto.org
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae Diana Doyle 2019-08-11 Hereford, Cochise County, Arizona, Cochise (United States) (1600 m) song -

Variant of the usual 'lobbing missile' or 'jet fighter' call, but with eight introductory notes before each whistle. Three individuals were heard at the same time from three different locations along two adjacent oak-grassland washes -- two doing the usual vrrrrrrrr call and one doing this longer version. This is a recording of one individual (with another one heard distantly at the very end of the audio). The interval between the two songs is natural. Audio had some noise reduction applied.

bird-seen:no

playback-used:no

492136
xeno-canto.org
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae Diana Doyle 2018-05-24 Doyle Yard, Cochise, Arizona, United States, Cochise (United States)   -   101939071
macaulaylibrary.org
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae Paul Marvin 2012-04-04 Davis Mountains State Park, Jeff Davis Co, Texas, Jeff Davis (United States) (1500 m) call -

calls and wing noise from a feeding male/female pair at close range, at bird feeding station

bird-seen:yes

playback-used:no

147370
xeno-canto.org
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae mearnsi Richard E. Webster 2015-05-04 Paradise Cemetery, Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona, Cochise (United States) (1600 m) call on flushing -

bird-seen:yes

playback-used:no

254985
xeno-canto.org
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae mearnsi Richard E. Webster 2020-09-04 Rucker Canyon, Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise (United States) (1900 m) adult, calls to re-unite family, female, male -

I flushed a pair with six tiny chicks along the trail, missing all of this; up to 0:15 (when interval shortened) was the agitated female, after which it was the agitated male, both probably trying to stay in contact with the chicks, including the male flushing after 0:56; some rather odd calls after 0:44 (or is there wing noise in this, or ?); some good material but also some messy aspects; (and yes, at least most of them got back together);

bird-seen:yes

playback-used:no

637530
xeno-canto.org
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae Manuel Grosselet 2016-11-26 SAn isidro Llano grande, Oaxaca, Oaxaca (Mexico) (3100 m) call, male -

wildtronics mono amplified dr05 used of audacity

bird-seen:yes

playback-used:yes

344525
xeno-canto.org
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae mearnsi Richard E. Webster 2015-05-20 Crest Trail, Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise (United States) (2600 m) contact calls, male -

two types of contact calls by male Montezuma Quail, seen running away (female flushed later and is in another recording; female calls could also be in this recording, such as the seven higher notes after 0:28, but most are certainly male)

bird-seen:yes

playback-used:no

254996
xeno-canto.org
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae Dan Lane 1990-07-05 Portal, Cochise County, Arizona, Cochise (United States) (1500 m) song -

Natural song from a male (of a pair) hidden in dense grass with scrub oak and some scattered junipers. The birds were seen when flushed shortly after recording.

bird-seen:yes

playback-used:no

136125
xeno-canto.org
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae Daniel Alexander C. M. (Alex Pyrocephalus) 2026-05-09 , San José de Gracia (Mexico)   -   657071684
macaulaylibrary.org
Montezuma Quail - Cyrtonyx montezumae mearnsi Phoenix Birder 2019-08-03 Green Valley, Pima County, Arizona, Pima (United States) (1400 m) song -

Sound Devices MixPre-3, Wildtronics Model #WTPMMSA, 22” Parabolic Reflector, [email protected]

bird-seen:no

playback-used:no

490596
xeno-canto.org
Note: a maximum of 20 records are shown. For more recordings of this species, as well as maps, sonograms, and advanced searches, please visit xeno-canto & macaulaylibrary.org.

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