The Spot-winged Wood-Quail is a plump ground-dwelling bird of South America's Atlantic Forest.
It has a chestnut crown, an orange eyebrow, a grayish throat and belly, and a mottled brown back.
Spot-winged Wood-quails communicate by sound in forest life. Their vocalizations occur in territorial defence, predator alerts and social cohesion. Calling birds and responding listeners are connected through these sounds among trees and undergrowth.
A 2024 study distinguished eight vocalizations using material from Brazil’s Serra de Baturité and other sources. Recordings and visual observations in Ceará were combined with archived sounds and captive birds. The eight-part repertoire therefore drew on several recording contexts.
The vocalizations were associated with defending space, signalling danger and maintaining social relationships. Behavioural responses to calls were also reported. Sound accompanies activities involving territory, safety and connections between companions.
IUCN Red List (BirdLife listing) · Least Concern · Global
BirdLife’s 2024 global assessment lists Least Concern and suspects a population decline associated with forest loss. A 2024 thesis sampling six forest fragments in Serra de Baturité detected the north-eastern subspecies four times in two areas. Retaining forest and continuing acoustic records can improve local distribution and population information.