Scaled Quail vs Stone Partridge
Callipepla squamata compared with Ptilopachus petrosus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Scaled Quail | Stone Partridge |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Callipepla squamata | Ptilopachus petrosus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Odontophoridae | Odontophoridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 23.2 cm (9.1 in) | 23.4 cm (9.2 in) |
| Weight | 195.5 g (6.90 oz) | 192.5 g (6.79 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on seeds, leaves, and cacti in arid southwestern US scrubland. Takes invertebrates especially during … | Forages on rocky hillsides in West and Central Africa for seeds, invertebrates, and small plant … |
| Clutch Size | 3-16 | 4-6 |
| 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.
Stone Partridge
Emits a clear, whistled peet-peet call and soft clucking series. The repeated, clear whistle is far-carrying and melodious for a partridge; heard on West African rocky outcrops.
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.
Stone Partridge
Resident in rocky hillsides and savanna of West Africa from Senegal east to Cameroon and Chad. Found in rocky terrain with grass and bushes.
Conservation Status
Scaled Quail
Stone 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.
Stone Partridge
Dark brown above, finely vermiculated with buff; rufous tail often cocked; underparts pale buff-brown with dark scaling; bare red eye-ring; short rounded wings; sexes similar.
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.
Stone Partridge
A small partridge (~190 g) of family Odontophoridae, with brown-barred plumage and a short rounded tail often cocked upright. Inhabits rocky hillsides, inselbergs, and stony savanna in sub-Saharan West and Central Africa. Forages for seeds and insects on the ground. Least Concern; an unusual African member of the New World quail family with a predominantly terrestrial lifestyle.