Species Profile
Environmental Conservation Online System

Masked bobwhite (Colinus virginianus ridgwayi)

Kingdom: Animalia
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Odontophoridae

Listing Status:   

Where Listed: WHEREVER FOUND

General Information

The adult male masked bobwhite has a rich rufous-red (cinnamon) breast and a black head and throat. Some males have a white to yellowish-white superciliary stripe and sometimes touches of white elsewhere on the head. They have crowns mottled with black and rufous. The head plumage tends to become purer black with age. The back feathers are a maze of blacks, browns, rufous and buff, somewhat similar to the back patterns of other bobwhite races. The female plumage is mottled brown, buff and white with a buff throat and superciliary stripe very similar to females of other bobwhite races. It is particularly like the female of C. v. texanus. Female masked bobwhite superficially resemble female and juvenile Montezuma quail, Cyrtonyx montezumae, giving rise to the frequent misidentification of the latter for the former. This fact tends to explain the numerous reports of "bobwhite"

Map of Species occurrence

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Map Image Map of Species occurrence Map of Species occurrence

This map represents our best available information about where a species is currently known to or or is believed to occur; however, it should NOT be used as an official species list for Section 7 Consultation purposes. To obtain an official species list for this purpose, please visit the Information, Planning, and Conservation (IPaC) System (click here: http://ecos.fws.gov/ipac)



This species is listed wherever it is found, but
    • States/US Territories in which the Masked bobwhite, Entire is known to or is believed to occur:  Arizona
    • US Counties in which the Masked bobwhite, Entire is known to or is believed to occur:  View All
    • USFWS Refuges in which the Masked bobwhite, Entire is known to occur:  BUENOS AIRES NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
    • Countries in which the the Masked bobwhite, Entire is known to occur:  Mexico
    • For more information:  http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/arizona/masked.htm
Current Listing Status Summary
Status Date Listed Lead Region Where Listed
03/11/1967 Southwest Region (Region 2) Entire

» Federal Register Documents

Most Recent Federal Register Documents (Showing 4 of 4)
Date Citation Page Title
02/11/2009 74 FR 6917 6919 5-Year Reviews of 23 Southwestern Species
06/02/1970 35 FR 8491 8498 Part 17 - Conservation of Endangered Species and Other Fish or Wildlife (First List of Endangered Foreign Fish and Wildlife as Appendix A)
04/14/1970 35 FR 6069 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Endangered Species Conservation); 35 FR 6069
03/11/1967 32 FR 4001 Endangered Species List - 1967

» Recovery

Recovery Plan Information Search
Current Recovery Plan(s)
Date Title Plan Action Status Plan Status
04/21/1995 Masked Bobwhite Recovery Plan, Second Revision View Implementation Progress Final Revision 2
Other Recovery Documents (Showing 1 of 1)
Date Citation Page Title Document Type
02/11/2009 74 FR 6917 6919 5-Year Reviews of 23 Southwestern Species
  • Notice 5-year Review, Initiation
  • » Critical Habitat

    No critical habitat rules have been published for the Masked bobwhite, Entire.

    » Conservation Plans

    No conservation plans have been created for Masked bobwhite, Entire

    » Petitions

    No petition findings have been published for the Masked bobwhite, Entire.

    » Life History

    No Life History information has been entered into this system for this species.

    » Other Resources

    NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

    ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

    Last updated: June 18, 2013