Scaled Quail vs Buffy-crowned Wood-partridge
Callipepla squamata compared with Dendrortyx leucophrys
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Scaled Quail | Buffy-crowned Wood-partridge |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Callipepla squamata | Dendrortyx leucophrys |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Odontophoridae | Odontophoridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 23.2 cm (9.1 in) | 29.8 cm (11.7 in) |
| Weight | 195.5 g (6.90 oz) | 368.5 g (13.00 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on seeds, leaves, and cacti in arid southwestern US scrubland. Takes invertebrates especially during … | Forages on forest floor in Central American highlands for seeds, invertebrates, and small fruits. Scratches … |
| Clutch Size | 3-16 | 6-7 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Scaled Quail only
Buffy-crowned Wood-partridge only
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.
Buffy-crowned Wood-partridge
Emits a loud, resonant oo-oo-oo-oo hooting call; male's call is surprisingly owl-like. The haunting, owl-like hooting series carries through Central American mountain forest.
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.
Buffy-crowned Wood-partridge
Resident in the highlands of Guatemala south to Costa Rica at 1,200-3,200 m. Found in cloud forest and pine-oak woodland.
Conservation Status
Scaled Quail
Buffy-crowned Wood-partridge
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.
Buffy-crowned Wood-partridge
Rufous-brown above; crown warm buff to whitish; bold black-and-white striped face; breast and flanks heavily streaked black on rufous ground; belly paler buff; tail rufous-chestnut.
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.
Buffy-crowned Wood-partridge
A medium-sized New World quail (~370 g) of family Odontophoridae, with a buffy-white supercilium and rufous-brown plumage. Inhabits montane cloud forests and humid highland forests from Mexico through Central America to Panama. Forages on the ground for seeds, berries, and invertebrates. Least Concern; commonly heard but seldom seen due to dense forest cover and secretive behavior.