Crested Bobwhite vs Mountain Quail
Colinus cristatus compared with Oreortyx pictus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Crested Bobwhite | Mountain Quail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Colinus cristatus | Oreortyx pictus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Odontophoridae | Odontophoridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 20.0 cm (7.9 in) | 26.8 cm (10.6 in) |
| Weight | 132.5 g (4.67 oz) | 237.83333333333334 g (8.39 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous; eats seeds, berries, and insects in South American grasslands, scrub, and forest edges. Forages … | Eats seeds, berries, and leaves in chaparral and coniferous mountain forests. Also takes bulbs and … |
| Clutch Size | 8-15 | 6-16 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
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.
Mountain Quail
Male produces a loud, high, clear queee-ark call; pairs respond with rhythmic, whistled duets. The far-carrying, piping call is one of the most distinctive mountain bird sounds of western North …
Geographic Range & Migration
Crested Bobwhite
Resident from Panama south through Colombia and Venezuela to the Guianas. Found in open grassland, savanna, and brushy areas.
Mountain Quail
Resident in the coastal ranges and Sierra Nevada of California, Oregon, and Washington at 500-3,000 m. Found in montane chaparral and brush.
Conservation Status
Crested Bobwhite
Mountain Quail
How to Tell Them Apart
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.
Mountain Quail
Blue-grey breast and flanks boldly barred chestnut-and-white; olive-brown back; chestnut throat bordered white; long straight black plume from crown; male and female similar.
About These Birds
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.
Mountain Quail
A medium-sized New World quail (~240 g) of family Odontophoridae, with a long straight head plume and chestnut flanks barred in white. Inhabits chaparral, brushy mountain slopes, and pine-oak forest in the Pacific mountain ranges of western North America. Forages for seeds, bulbs, and berries. Least Concern; the largest North American quail species, exhibiting altitudinal migration.