Cassell's book of birds; vol. 3Brehm, Alfred Edmund
Science
Cassell's book of birds; vol. 3
Brehm, Alfred Edmund
Birds
The CAPUEIRA PARTRIDGE (_Odontophorus dentatus_), the largest species
of the entire family, represents a group of powerfully-built birds,
with comparatively long necks and moderate-sized heads, their short
tail, rounded at its extremity, is formed of soft feathers; the short,
decidedly-rounded wing has its fifth and sixth quills longer than the
rest; the strong, hooked beak is compressed at its sides, and has the
high upper mandible much vaulted; the margins of the lower mandible
are furnished with two well-defined tooth-like appendages. The tarsi
are high, the toes long, armed with sharply-pointed hooked claws, and
protected by large horny scales. The plumage, which is alike in the two
sexes, is prolonged into a crest on the head; the eye is surrounded by
a broad, brightly-coloured skin. This species is yellowish brown on
the nape, back, wings, and tail; the crown of the head is brown, and a
cheek-stripe that extends to the nape is reddish yellow, dotted with a
lighter shade: the feathers on the throat and upper portion of the back
are spotted with brown and black, and striped with yellow; those on the
shoulders have a large black triangular patch on the inner web. The
feathers of the wing-covers have a pale, yellow, heart-shaped spot at
their tip, whilst the lower shoulder-feathers and exterior secondaries are
edged with reddish yellow on the inner web, and streaked with black, the
centre part of each being also varied with reddish grey and brown. The
brown primary quills have the outer web dotted with white, and the shaft
grey; the secondaries are marked with reddish yellow on the outer web.
All the feathers on the hinder parts of the body and tail are of mottled
reddish yellow in the centre, with a pale yellow border, and a black spot
at the tip; those on the under side are slate-grey, edged with brown. The
eye is brown, the bare ring that surrounds it deep flesh-red, the beak
black, and the foot greyish red. The female is of paler hue, and the young
show more reddish brown in their plumage than the adult male. The length
of the body is sixteen inches and a half, the wing measures three inches
and a half, and the tail three inches.
This bird is found in suitable localities in most parts of Brazil, from
the Rio de la Plata to the Amazon. We are indebted to the Prince of Wied
for what we know of its life and habits.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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