Scaled Quail vs Tacarcuna Wood-quail
Callipepla squamata compared with Odontophorus dialeucos
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Scaled Quail | Tacarcuna Wood-quail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Callipepla squamata | Odontophorus dialeucos |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Odontophoridae | Odontophoridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 23.2 cm (9.1 in) | 25.2 cm (9.9 in) |
| Weight | 195.5 g (6.90 oz) | 273.5 g (9.65 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on seeds, leaves, and cacti in arid southwestern US scrubland. Takes invertebrates especially during … | Forages on forest floor in Panama and Colombia for seeds and invertebrates. Critically endangered; diet … |
| Clutch Size | 3-16 | -- |
| 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.
Tacarcuna Wood-quail
Series of hollow, resonant 'qua-WHI-co' notes in alternating duet; rarely recorded. Song slightly higher pitched than related species. Alarm is a muted explosive chip.
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.
Tacarcuna Wood-quail
Endemic to the Tacarcuna massif on the Panama-Colombia border at 900-1,700 m. Found in humid montane forest. Poorly known.
Conservation Status
Scaled Quail
Tacarcuna Wood-quail
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.
Tacarcuna Wood-quail
Dark brown above, finely streaked buff; throat and chest white contrasting with dark flanks and back; bare reddish eye-ring; white on throat is notably clean and extensive compared to related …
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.
Tacarcuna Wood-quail
A medium-sized New World quail (~275 g) of family Odontophoridae, with a distinctive pale supercilium against dark plumage. Endemic to the Tacarcuna massif on the Panama-Colombia border. Inhabits humid montane forest at elevations above 1,000 m. Forages on the forest floor for seeds and invertebrates. Least Concern; very restricted range but protected by remote mountainous terrain.