Singing Quail vs Banded Quail
Dactylortyx thoracicus compared with Philortyx fasciatus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Singing Quail | Banded Quail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Dactylortyx thoracicus | Philortyx fasciatus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Odontophoridae | Odontophoridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 25.1 cm (9.9 in) | 19.7 cm (7.8 in) |
| Weight | 181.75 g (6.41 oz) | 127.25 g (4.49 oz) |
| Diet | Eats seeds and invertebrates in Central American highland forests. Remarkably vocal; scratches leaf litter on … | Eats seeds and small invertebrates in Mexican thorn scrub and dry grassland. Forages on ground … |
| Clutch Size | 5 | 3-7 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Singing Quail
Exceptionally melodic, rich whistled song of 4–6 slurred notes; flute-like and rising. Named for song quality; male sings from hidden perch in Mexican pine-oak forest. Alarm chips are short and …
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
Singing Quail
Resident in Mexico from Jalisco and Tamaulipas south to Chiapas and the Yucatán. Found in humid forest and dense brush.
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
Singing Quail
Banded Quail
How to Tell Them Apart
Singing Quail
Rufous-brown above streaked black and buff; male has orange-rufous face and throat contrasting with streaked breast; female has buff-white face with dark streaks. Dense understory cryptic pattern.
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
Singing Quail
A small New World quail (~180 g) of family Odontophoridae, famous for its loud melodious whistled duets. Inhabits humid highland forests and forest edges from Mexico through Central America. Forages on the forest floor for seeds and invertebrates, often near streams. Least Concern; more often heard than seen due to dense forest undergrowth; males have a distinctive loud song.
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.