Montezuma Quail vs Bearded Wood-partridge
Cyrtonyx montezumae compared with Dendrortyx barbatus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Montezuma Quail | Bearded Wood-partridge |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cyrtonyx montezumae | Dendrortyx barbatus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Odontophoridae | Odontophoridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 24.0 cm (9.4 in) | 30.1 cm (11.9 in) |
| Weight | 185.5 g (6.54 oz) | 407.5 g (14.37 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous; digs for bulbs, tubers, seeds, and invertebrates with its stout bill in Mexican pine-oak … | Forages in Mexican cloud forests for seeds, invertebrates, and small fruits. Critically endangered; diet poorly … |
| Clutch Size | 2-15 | 4-8 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Montezuma Quail
Eerie, descending wavering whistle 'wheeeoo' given by male from grass; ghostly and ventriloquial. Alarm is a low nasal 'wee-wee'; flushed birds produce loud burst of wing beats.
Bearded Wood-partridge
Emits a loud, resonant hooting call similar to other Dendrortyx wood-partridges. The owl-like hooting carries through cloud forest; calls are poorly differentiated from Long-tailed.
Geographic Range & Migration
Montezuma Quail
Resident in the mountains of Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas at 1,400-3,000 m. Found in oak and pine-oak woodland.
Bearded Wood-partridge
Endemic to cloud forest in the Sierra de Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico, and adjacent Veracruz at 1,500-2,500 m. Rarely observed.
Conservation Status
Montezuma Quail
Bearded Wood-partridge
How to Tell Them Apart
Montezuma Quail
Male has harlequin black-and-white face with bold white stripes and spots; chestnut-brown body with white spots on flanks; blue-grey crest; female cryptically mottled brown with faint facial pattern.
Bearded Wood-partridge
Rufous-brown above; grey head with white supercilium; distinct black-and-white beard streaks on lower throat and chin; breast streaked black and white; flanks rufous-brown; belly pale buff.
About These Birds
Montezuma Quail
A small rotund New World quail (~185 g) of family Odontophoridae, males with a harlequin-patterned black and white face. Inhabits pine-oak and grassland habitats in montane areas from Arizona and Texas to Honduras. Forages by digging bulbs and tubers with strong curved claws. Least Concern; cryptic and rarely seen; populations declining with overgrazing of native bunchgrass.
Bearded Wood-partridge
A medium-sized New World quail (~405 g) of family Odontophoridae, with a distinct facial streak resembling a beard. Endemic to cloud forest in a restricted area of the Sierra Madre Oriental of eastern Mexico. Forages on the ground for seeds and invertebrates. Vulnerable; critically restricted range in highly fragmented Mexican highland forests, with ongoing habitat loss from agricultural expansion.