White-cheeked Partridge vs African Blue Quail
Arborophila atrogularis compared with Synoicus adansonii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | White-cheeked Partridge | African Blue Quail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Arborophila atrogularis | Synoicus adansonii |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 25.8 cm (10.2 in) | 14.9 cm (5.9 in) |
| Weight | 256.0 g (9.03 oz) | 41.666666666666664 g (1.47 oz) |
| Diet | Eats seeds, invertebrates, and small fruits on floor of northeastern Indian and Myanmarese hill forests. | Feeds on small grass seeds, invertebrates, and plant matter in African tropical grassland and wetland … |
| Clutch Size | 3-7 | 3-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
White-cheeked Partridge only
None
African Blue Quail only
Song & Call Comparison
White-cheeked Partridge
Ringing 'kwee-oo-kwee' trio of whistled notes; second note lower, third rising again. Calls from NE Indian and Myanmar hillside forest. Alarm is a sharp staccato cluck series.
African Blue Quail
High, thin 'wee-wee-wee-wee' whistle in series; tiny, cryptic African grassland quail. Alarm is a sharp 'pip'. Very quiet overall; contact clucks barely audible. Calls at dawn and dusk.
Geographic Range & Migration
White-cheeked Partridge
Resident in the foothills of northeastern India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar at 100-1,500 m. Found in dense lowland and foothill forest.
African Blue Quail
Nomadic resident of open grassland, wetland edge, and savanna across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia and south to Angola.
Conservation Status
White-cheeked Partridge
African Blue Quail
How to Tell Them Apart
White-cheeked Partridge
Brown above; cheeks white contrasting with black throat and lores; grey breast; flanks grey-brown streaked white; bare reddish eye-ring; white cheeks against black throat create distinctive facial pattern.
African Blue Quail
Male dark slaty-blue overall with chestnut flanks; white face markings with black border; similar to Asian Blue Quail. Female brown with buff streaking; pale underparts. African counterpart of Asian Blue …
About These Birds
White-cheeked Partridge
A medium-sized partridge (~255 g) of family Phasianidae, with white cheeks contrasting against a black throat. Inhabits subtropical and lower montane forests in northeastern India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. Forages secretively on the forest floor for seeds and invertebrates in dense bamboo and undergrowth. Least Concern; widespread in the eastern Himalayan foothills and Assam region.
African Blue Quail
A tiny Phasianidae quail (~42 g) of tall grasses and moist savanna across sub-Saharan Africa. Males have a slaty-blue face and rusty-buff flanks; one of Africa's smallest birds. Highly secretive; rarely flushed. Feeds on tiny grass seeds and invertebrates. Migratory or nomadic following rains. Least Concern.