Spot-bellied Bobwhite vs Mountain Quail
Colinus leucopogon compared with Oreortyx pictus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Spot-bellied Bobwhite | Mountain Quail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Colinus leucopogon | Oreortyx pictus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Odontophoridae | Odontophoridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 20.6 cm (8.1 in) | 26.8 cm (10.6 in) |
| Weight | 129.5 g (4.57 oz) | 237.83333333333334 g (8.39 oz) |
| Diet | Eats seeds, berries, and invertebrates in Central American dry forests and scrubby grassland. Forages on … | Eats seeds, berries, and leaves in chaparral and coniferous mountain forests. Also takes bulbs and … |
| Clutch Size | 11-13 | 6-16 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Spot-bellied Bobwhite
Shrill, ascending two-note whistle; male territorial song shorter and drier than Northern Bobwhite. Alarm a sharp nasal 'kwik'; flock maintains rolling soft chatter.
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
Spot-bellied Bobwhite
Resident from Guatemala and El Salvador south through Central America to Colombia. Found in brushy fields and open woodland.
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
Spot-bellied Bobwhite
Mountain Quail
How to Tell Them Apart
Spot-bellied Bobwhite
Male has white throat with dark scaling, white supercilium, chestnut-brown back with dark streaks, and underparts heavily spotted black on white; flanks chestnut-barred. Female duller and buffier.
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
Spot-bellied Bobwhite
A small New World quail (~130 g) of family Odontophoridae, with a white-spotted belly in males. Inhabits open habitats including pine savannas, grasslands, shrubby clearings, and agricultural edges from Honduras to Costa Rica. Forages in coveys for seeds and invertebrates. Least Concern; adapted to disturbed and semi-open landscapes in Central American Pacific lowlands.
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.