Blue Eared-pheasant vs African Blue Quail
Crossoptilon auritum compared with Synoicus adansonii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Blue Eared-pheasant | African Blue Quail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Crossoptilon auritum | Synoicus adansonii |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 59.1 cm (23.3 in) | 14.9 cm (5.9 in) |
| Weight | 1785.0 g (62.96 oz) | 41.666666666666664 g (1.47 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous; digs for tubers, roots, and invertebrates; eats seeds, berries, and shoots in montane forests … | Feeds on small grass seeds, invertebrates, and plant matter in African tropical grassland and wetland … |
| Clutch Size | 6-12 | 3-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Blue Eared-pheasant only
None
African Blue Quail only
Song & Call Comparison
Blue Eared-pheasant
Loud, resonant 'gaa-gaa-GAAK' calls with slight bugling quality; Sichuan-Qinghai mountain species. Flock communication noisy. Alarm is loud explosive barking; white ear tufts raised during calling.
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
Blue Eared-pheasant
Resident of forest, scrub, and alpine meadow in central and eastern China (Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan, Shaanxi), at 2,000–4,000 m.
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
Blue Eared-pheasant
African Blue Quail
How to Tell Them Apart
Blue Eared-pheasant
Predominantly blue-grey with darker blue primaries; black crown; long white ear tufts; graduated tail with white bases and dark-tipped glossy black outer feathers; red facial skin. Sexes alike.
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
Blue Eared-pheasant
A large Phasianidae pheasant (~1.79 kg) of high coniferous and mixed forests in central China. Slate-blue plumage contrasts with crimson legs and long, drooping white ear tufts. Gregarious; flocks excavate roots and bulbs. Adapts to high elevations up to 4,000 m in summer. 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.