Its population is thought to be declining but at a moderate rate, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed it as being a "least-concern species".

The upper parts are greyish-brown, with dark vermiculations and speckling, with the individual feathers on neck, mantle, back and scapulars having white streaks beside the shaft.

The legs are dark grey, the bill is blackish, the iris brown and the bare area around the eyes red.

[5] Spot-winged wood quails tend to move around on the ground by day in small groups of typically six to eight, but sometimes up to fifteen.

[5] The spot-winged wood quail has a very extensive distribution and is common in at least part of its range, although the most northerly populations are at risk from hunting.