Mountain Quail

About

A medium-sized New World quail (~240 g) of family Odontophoridae, with a long straight head plume and chestnut flanks barred in white. Inhabits chaparral, brushy mountain slopes, and pine-oak forest in the Pacific mountain ranges of western North America. Forages for seeds, bulbs, and berries. Least Concern; the largest North American quail species, exhibiting altitudinal migration.

Physical Description

Measurement	Value	Imperial
Wingspan	26.8 cm	10.6 in
Weight	237.83333333333334 g	8.39 oz

Identification

Plumage

Blue-grey breast and flanks boldly barred chestnut-and-white; olive-brown back; chestnut throat bordered white; long straight black plume from crown; male and female similar.

Habitat & Range

🌲 Forest

Geographic Range

Resident in the coastal ranges and Sierra Nevada of California, Oregon, and Washington at 500-3,000 m. Found in montane chaparral and brush.

Diet & Feeding

Eats seeds, berries, and leaves in chaparral and coniferous mountain forests. Also takes bulbs and invertebrates in breeding season.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

IUCN Red List

Behavior & Breeding

Nesting

Incubation: 21-25 days.

Clutch Size

6-16

Sound

Song

Male produces a loud, high, clear queee-ark call; pairs respond with rhythmic, whistled duets. The far-carrying, piping call is one of the most distinctive mountain bird sounds of western North America.

Taxonomy

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Galliformes (Gamebirds)
Family	Odontophoridae (New World Quail)
Genus	Oreortyx
Species	Oreortyx pictus

Distribution

Mountain Quail has been recorded in 5 countries.

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Present Not recorded

countries highlighted

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇫🇷 France 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

External Databases

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Mountain Quail eat?

Eats seeds, berries, and leaves in chaparral and coniferous mountain forests. Also takes bulbs and invertebrates in breeding season.

Where does the Mountain Quail live?

Resident in the coastal ranges and Sierra Nevada of California, Oregon, and Washington at 500-3,000 m. Found in montane chaparral and brush.

Is the Mountain Quail endangered?

The Mountain Quail has a conservation status of Least Concern.

How does the Mountain Quail nest?

Incubation: 21-25 days.

What does the Mountain Quail sound like?

Male produces a loud, high, clear queee-ark call; pairs respond with rhythmic, whistled duets. The far-carrying, piping call is one of the most distinctive mountain bird sounds of western North America.

How big is the Mountain Quail?

The Mountain Quail has a wingspan of 26.8 cm, weight of 237.83333333333334 g.

What order and family does the Mountain Quail belong to?

The Mountain Quail (Oreortyx pictus) belongs to the order Galliformes and the family Odontophoridae.