Crested Bobwhite vs Banded Quail
Colinus cristatus compared with Philortyx fasciatus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Crested Bobwhite | Banded Quail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Colinus cristatus | Philortyx fasciatus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Odontophoridae | Odontophoridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 20.0 cm (7.9 in) | 19.7 cm (7.8 in) |
| Weight | 132.5 g (4.67 oz) | 127.25 g (4.49 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous; eats seeds, berries, and insects in South American grasslands, scrub, and forest edges. Forages … | Eats seeds and small invertebrates in Mexican thorn scrub and dry grassland. Forages on ground … |
| Clutch Size | 8-15 | 3-7 |
| 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.
Banded Quail
High-pitched, whistled 'wit-wit-weee' repeated persistently from dense scrub. Covey contact calls are soft, rapid clucks; alarm produces sharp explosive chips.
Geographic Range & Migration
Crested Bobwhite
Resident from Panama south through Colombia and Venezuela to the Guianas. Found in open grassland, savanna, and brushy areas.
Banded Quail
Endemic to the Pacific slope of Mexico from Jalisco south to Guerrero and Oaxaca. Found in dry forest and thorn scrub.
Conservation Status
Crested Bobwhite
Banded 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.
Banded Quail
Heavily barred black and buff throughout, including crown; white supercilium; throat whitish; short rounded crest; belly barred buff and black; sexes similar. Distinctive fine barring on entire body.
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.
Banded Quail
A small New World quail (~125 g) of family Odontophoridae, with bold horizontal brown-and-white banding across the breast and flanks. Endemic to semi-arid scrublands, grasslands, and dry forests of the Balsas Depression in central Mexico. Forages in groups on the ground for seeds and invertebrates. Least Concern; a monotypic genus restricted to Mexico's western interior.