This lowland Amazonian wood-quail has white spots on its breast and wings. It forages on the forest floor in family groups and is often heard before it is seen.
The back is patterned gray and brown, and the underparts are reddish brown with white spots. White spotting is also present on the breast and wing coverts.
Starred Wood-Quail inhabit South American humid lowland forests; documented Ecuadorian records have been scarce.
One bird was audio-recorded in secondary forest at San José de Morona on25August2023. The species was recorded there again in June and September2024.
CERO’s2025 report presented these modern records alongside photographic documentation elsewhere, following a documented record dating to1963.
IUCN Red List (BirdLife listing) · Least Concern · Global
BirdLife lists Least Concern with a suspected decreasing trend, high forest dependence and hunting susceptibility. Verified Ecuadorian localities add information relevant to forest conservation.