Talk:Montezuma quail

Polyandrous?
I've heard in a forum that Megapodes, Guttera guineafowl, Roul Roul, Mearn's Quail and Ithaginis Blood Pheasants are polyandrous and that the Polyplectrons' ancestors were also polyandrous. This person on the forum is Kermit Blackwood, who has done comprehensive work on gallinate birds. His research revealed that Polyplectrons, Galloperdix, and Haematortyx should be part of a distinct family of galliform birds.

But perhaps Kermit's most impressive hypothesis is about the Green Peafowl. His research revealed that the Green Peafowl is actually a complex of several distinct species. He also discovered that the Green Peafowl are also monogamous (Red Data Book says he suggested this in 2000). Peafowl are also part of their own family with the Argus "pheasants".

Much of Kermit's work would be currently labelled as citation needed or no WP:RS, due to the lack of any RS right now. However, his findings will be published in the next few years. In 2000 he showed some of his literature to the Red Data Book, which accepted his hypotheses, not including anything listed above except for the monogamous thing, those hypotheses were not even made, but all sorts of other crucial information he had by far confirmed (unusual Yunnan form of Green Peafowl, Imperial Pheasant being a hybrid).Frankyboy5 03:24, 18 June 2007 (UTC)

Not true polyandry...
He told me it is not true polyandry but instead a complex helper system in which males related to the alpha male help him raise his young, defend him etc. Kermit even told me that Indian Peafowl do this in the wild! Only the alpha pair breeds.


 * I'm afraid I don't follow the ornithological literature. I hope someone, maybe you, will add this material when it's published.  The statement about the Montezuma Quail seems to directly contradict a source I used in the article, which says that coveys typically consist only of parents and offspring, but maybe it refers to the larger coveys.  Some day this will all be straightened out.  &mdash;JerryFriedman 04:49, 23 July 2007 (UTC)