Harlequin Quail vs African Blue Quail
Coturnix delegorguei compared with Synoicus adansonii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Harlequin Quail | African Blue Quail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Coturnix delegorguei | Synoicus adansonii |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 18.1 cm (7.1 in) | 14.9 cm (5.9 in) |
| Weight | 75.64 g (2.67 oz) | 41.666666666666664 g (1.47 oz) |
| Diet | Eats seeds, grain, and invertebrates in African and Arabian grassland; nomadic, tracking rainfall and food … | Feeds on small grass seeds, invertebrates, and plant matter in African tropical grassland and wetland … |
| Clutch Size | 4-8 | 3-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Harlequin Quail
Rapid, emphatic 'weet-weet-weet' call; faster and more staccato than Common Quail. Sub-Saharan African grassland species. Alarm is a soft 'pip'. Calls persistently at dawn and dusk from dense grass.
African Blue Quail
High, thin 'wee-wee-wee-wee' whistle in series; tiny, cryptic African grassland quail. Alarm is a sharp 'pip'. Very quiet overall; contact clucks barely audible. Calls at dawn and dusk.
Geographic Range & Migration
Harlequin Quail
Breeds in open grassland and savanna from sub-Saharan Africa to India; intra-African and partial migrant depending on rainfall.
African Blue Quail
Nomadic resident of open grassland, wetland edge, and savanna across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia and south to Angola.
Conservation Status
Harlequin Quail
African Blue Quail
How to Tell Them Apart
Harlequin Quail
Male boldly patterned: black and white harlequin face pattern; chestnut-rufous underparts; black breast band; brown streaked upperparts. Female cryptically brown with pale shaft streaks; lacks male's striking face.
African Blue Quail
Male dark slaty-blue overall with chestnut flanks; white face markings with black border; similar to Asian Blue Quail. Female brown with buff streaking; pale underparts. African counterpart of Asian Blue …
About These Birds
Harlequin Quail
A small, nomadic Phasianidae quail (~76 g) of open grassland and cultivated areas across sub-Saharan Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. Males are boldly patterned black-and-white below with chestnut flanks. Erratically nomadic following rains. Feeds on seeds and small invertebrates. Least Concern.
African Blue Quail
A tiny Phasianidae quail (~42 g) of tall grasses and moist savanna across sub-Saharan Africa. Males have a slaty-blue face and rusty-buff flanks; one of Africa's smallest birds. Highly secretive; rarely flushed. Feeds on tiny grass seeds and invertebrates. Migratory or nomadic following rains. Least Concern.