Species

Justification
This species qualifies as Near Threatened because it has a small extent of occurrence within which it is presumed to be declining owing to habitat loss and hunting pressure. Further information on the number of locations where it occurs may lead to it being uplisted to Vulnerable.

Taxonomic source(s)
SACC. 2006. A classification of the bird species of South America. Available at: http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.html.
Sibley, C. G.; Monroe, B. L. 1990. Distribution and taxonomy of birds of the world. Yale University Press, New Haven, USA.
Stotz, D. F.; Fitzpatrick, J. W.; Parker, T. A.; Moskovits, D. K. 1996. Neotropical birds: ecology and conservation. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Distribution and population
Odontophorus columbianus is endemic to north and west-central Venezuela (south-west Táchira along the río Chiquito and the Cordillera de la Costa from Carabobo to west Miranda). There is little information on its population but it could number under 10,000 individuals (del Hoyo et al. 1994).

Population justification
The population may number under 10,000 birds, and so is placed in the band 2,500-9,999 individuals. This equates to 1,667-6,666 mature individuals, rounded here to 1,500-7,000 mature individuals.

Trend justification
The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and unsustainable levels of hunting.

Ecology
It occurs in humid, montane forest and edge at elevations of 800-2,400 m (Meyer de Schauensee and Phelps 1978, Carroll 1994, Parker et al. 1996). Foraging birds appear to favour areas with a high frequency of non-palm monocotyledons, high vertical foliage density, and a low frequency of palms (Bactris spp.) (Bonaccorso and Barreto 2002).

Threats
There is still extensive forest cover within its range in parts of the Cordillera de la Costa Central, but habitat loss has been severe around Caracas, and many other areas have been extensively degraded (Huber and Alarcón 1988). In Táchira, there is pristine forest along the río Chiquito, but deforestation for intensive crop cultivation and pastureland is progressing in adjacent areas (M. Pearman in litt. 1995). It may also be threatened by hunting (del Hoyo et al. 1994).

Conservation actions underway
Much of its distribution falls within well-established protected areas: El Tama, San Esteban, Henri Pittier, Macarao and El Avila National Parks, and Pico Codazzi Nature Monument (C. J. Sharpe in litt. 2011).

Conservation actions proposed
Survey populations at known sites. Search for the species in areas of potentially suitable habitat. Effectively protect national parks where the species occurs.

References
Meyer de Schauensee, R.; Phelps, W. H. 1978. A guide to the birds of Venezuela. Princeton University Press, Princeton.

Huber, O.; Alarcón, C. 1988. Mapa de la vegetación de Venezuela. Ministério del Ambiente y de los Recursos Naturales Renovables (División de Vegetación) and Nature Conservancy, Caracas.

del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. 1994. Handbook of the Birds of the World, vol. 2: New World Vultures to Guineafowl. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.

Carroll, J. P. 1994. Odontophoridae (New World Quails). In: del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. (ed.), Handbook of the birds of the world, pp. 412-433. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.

Parker, T. A.; Stotz, D. F.; Fitzpatrick, J. W. 1996. Ecological and distributional databases. In: Stotz, D.F.; Fitzpatrick, J.W.; Parker, T.A.; Moskovits, D.K. (ed.), Neotropical bird ecology and conservation, pp. 113-436. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Bonaccorso, E.; Barreto, G. R. 2002. Microhabitat use by foraging Venezuelan Wood-Quails (Odontophorus columbianus). Journal of Field Ornithology 73: 318-322.

Further web sources of information
Hear sounds for this species from xeno-canto, the community database of shared bird sounds from around the world.

View photos and videos, and hear sounds of this species from the Internet Bird Collection

Text account compilers
Benstead, P., Capper, D., Sharpe, C J, Symes, A.

Contributors
Pearman, M., Sharpe, C J

IUCN Red List evaluators
Butchart, S., Symes, A.

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Odontophorus columbianus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 23/05/2013. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 23/05/2013.

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife

To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.