About Zentrygon costaricensis (Lawrence, 1868)
The buff-fronted quail-dove has the scientific name Zentrygon costaricensis (Lawrence, 1868). Adults measure 24 to 28 cm (9.4 to 11.0 in) in length. Recorded weights for two adult males are 310 g (11 oz) and 330 g (12 oz), while recorded weights for two adult females are 225 g (7.9 oz) and 283 g (10.0 oz). Adult plumage has medium gray coloration across the head, neck, and breast. The nape and upper back carry a green tinge, and the belly gradually changes to a brownish shade. The back, wings, and tail are maroon. The head has a clear distinct pattern: light gray cheeks, bordered both above and below by narrow black stripes that extend just past the eye, plus the species' namesake buffy forehead (called the front). The eye itself is brown, surrounded by a thin but noticeable red ring; the legs are bright coral-red, and the bill is dull brown with a reddish tint at its base. Juveniles have dusky gray crowns and napes with a green gloss. Juvenile upperparts are dull chestnut, with indistinct dusky bars and cinnamon-colored feather tips. Juvenile underparts have gray and cinnamon bars and freckles, and the juvenile belly is buff. This species is a permanent resident ranging from the Cordillera de Guanacaste in northern Costa Rica, extending southeast into western Panama as far as Veraguas Province. It lives in the Talamancan montane forest ecoregion. Its elevational range is 1,000 to 3,000 m (3,300 to 9,800 ft) in Costa Rica, and 1,200 to 3,000 m (3,900 to 9,800 ft) in Panama.
