Elegant Quail vs Bearded Wood-partridge
Callipepla douglasii compared with Dendrortyx barbatus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Elegant Quail | Bearded Wood-partridge |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Callipepla douglasii | Dendrortyx barbatus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Odontophoridae | Odontophoridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 22.6 cm (8.9 in) | 30.1 cm (11.9 in) |
| Weight | 182.16666666666666 g (6.43 oz) | 407.5 g (14.37 oz) |
| Diet | Eats seeds, berries, and plant material in Mexican tropical dry forests and thorn scrub. Also … | Forages in Mexican cloud forests for seeds, invertebrates, and small fruits. Critically endangered; diet poorly … |
| Clutch Size | 8-20 | 4-8 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Elegant Quail
Male emits a high, clear whistle-coo; coveys call with rapid, chattering notes. Calls are melodious for a quail; the whistled male call carries across western Mexican thornscrub.
Bearded Wood-partridge
Emits a loud, resonant hooting call similar to other Dendrortyx wood-partridges. The owl-like hooting carries through cloud forest; calls are poorly differentiated from Long-tailed.
Geographic Range & Migration
Elegant Quail
Endemic to the Pacific coast of Mexico from southern Sonora to Colima. Found in thorn scrub and tropical dry forest.
Bearded Wood-partridge
Endemic to cloud forest in the Sierra de Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico, and adjacent Veracruz at 1,500-2,500 m. Rarely observed.
Conservation Status
Elegant Quail
Bearded Wood-partridge
How to Tell Them Apart
Elegant Quail
Male has chestnut-brown body with white-spotted flanks; grey breast; chestnut face with white spots; forward-curving reddish-brown plume. Female is duller brown with buff spotting and smaller crest.
Bearded Wood-partridge
Rufous-brown above; grey head with white supercilium; distinct black-and-white beard streaks on lower throat and chin; breast streaked black and white; flanks rufous-brown; belly pale buff.
About These Birds
Elegant Quail
A small New World quail (~180 g) of family Odontophoridae, males with a chestnut-and-white streaked head plume and spotted underparts. Endemic to the Pacific slope of western Mexico in Sonora and Sinaloa. Inhabits tropical dry forest, thorn scrub, and agricultural edges. Forages in groups for seeds and insects. Least Concern; restricted range but stable in Mexican dry forest habitats.
Bearded Wood-partridge
A medium-sized New World quail (~405 g) of family Odontophoridae, with a distinct facial streak resembling a beard. Endemic to cloud forest in a restricted area of the Sierra Madre Oriental of eastern Mexico. Forages on the ground for seeds and invertebrates. Vulnerable; critically restricted range in highly fragmented Mexican highland forests, with ongoing habitat loss from agricultural expansion.