New World quail | Odontophoridae

Tandkwartels | Codornices americanas

Small, rounded gamebirds found only in the Americas, whose lower mandible has a serrated cutting edge, the feature the family is named for. The tarsus carries no spur and is short and sturdy, suited to scratching in the soil. Many species have a crest or plume on the head, and the male is more sharply marked than the female, with a pronounced face pattern. Two species of the genus Colinus occur in the region. Northern Bobwhite is native on Cuba; on some other islands, such as Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Jamaica and the Bahamas, the populations go back to introductions. Crested Bobwhite, a species of northern South America, occurs on Aruba and Curaçao. Both live in open, dry or rough country with scrub and field edges. They nest on the ground, lay large clutches and outside the breeding season live in settled coveys that keep in contact with clear, far-carrying calls; the male advertises with a whistled call.