Scaled Quail vs Crested Bobwhite
Callipepla squamata compared with Colinus cristatus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Scaled Quail | Crested Bobwhite |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Callipepla squamata | Colinus cristatus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Odontophoridae | Odontophoridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 23.2 cm (9.1 in) | 20.0 cm (7.9 in) |
| Weight | 195.5 g (6.90 oz) | 132.5 g (4.67 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on seeds, leaves, and cacti in arid southwestern US scrubland. Takes invertebrates especially during … | Omnivorous; eats seeds, berries, and insects in South American grasslands, scrub, and forest edges. Forages … |
| Clutch Size | 3-16 | 8-15 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Scaled Quail
Male gives a nasal, emphatic pay-COS call; coveys scatter with rapid, chattering clucks. The distinctive, nasal pay-COS call is the species' advertising call; carries across desert grassland.
Crested Bobwhite
Whistled ascending 'whiit-wheee' repeated steadily; crest raised during calling bouts. Contact between covey members is a series of low, liquid clucking notes with nasal quality.
Geographic Range & Migration
Scaled Quail
Resident in the semi-arid grasslands and desert scrub of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Found in arid and semi-arid plains.
Crested Bobwhite
Resident from Panama south through Colombia and Venezuela to the Guianas. Found in open grassland, savanna, and brushy areas.
Conservation Status
Scaled Quail
Crested Bobwhite
How to Tell Them Apart
Scaled Quail
Bluish-grey overall with black-edged feathers creating prominent scaly pattern on breast and flanks; white-tipped crest fluffy and pale; back brownish-grey; sexes similar but female slightly duller.
Crested Bobwhite
Male has bushy rufous crest, white supercilium, black-streaked white face and throat, rufous-brown back, and buff underparts spotted black. Female is buff-brown with streaked body and smaller crest.
About These Birds
Scaled Quail
A medium-sized New World quail (~195 g) of family Odontophoridae, with scaly grey-brown plumage and a whitish cottontop crest. Inhabits semi-arid shrublands, grasslands, and desert scrub from the southwestern United States to central Mexico. Forages in coveys for seeds and invertebrates. Least Concern; well adapted to arid environments, commonly hunted for sport.
Crested Bobwhite
A small New World quail (~130 g) of family Odontophoridae, males with a shaggy brown-white crest. Inhabits open savanna, grassland, scrubland, and agricultural areas in Central America and northern South America. Forages in coveys for seeds and invertebrates on the ground. Least Concern; one of the most widespread bobwhite species, tolerant of human-modified landscapes.