Buffy-crowned Wood-partridge vs Mountain Quail
Dendrortyx leucophrys compared with Oreortyx pictus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Buffy-crowned Wood-partridge | Mountain Quail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Dendrortyx leucophrys | Oreortyx pictus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Odontophoridae | Odontophoridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 29.8 cm (11.7 in) | 26.8 cm (10.6 in) |
| Weight | 368.5 g (13.00 oz) | 237.83333333333334 g (8.39 oz) |
| Diet | Forages on forest floor in Central American highlands for seeds, invertebrates, and small fruits. Scratches … | Eats seeds, berries, and leaves in chaparral and coniferous mountain forests. Also takes bulbs and … |
| Clutch Size | 6-7 | 6-16 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Buffy-crowned Wood-partridge
Emits a loud, resonant oo-oo-oo-oo hooting call; male's call is surprisingly owl-like. The haunting, owl-like hooting series carries through Central American mountain forest.
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
Buffy-crowned Wood-partridge
Resident in the highlands of Guatemala south to Costa Rica at 1,200-3,200 m. Found in cloud forest and pine-oak 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
Buffy-crowned Wood-partridge
Mountain Quail
How to Tell Them Apart
Buffy-crowned Wood-partridge
Rufous-brown above; crown warm buff to whitish; bold black-and-white striped face; breast and flanks heavily streaked black on rufous ground; belly paler buff; tail rufous-chestnut.
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
Buffy-crowned Wood-partridge
A medium-sized New World quail (~370 g) of family Odontophoridae, with a buffy-white supercilium and rufous-brown plumage. Inhabits montane cloud forests and humid highland forests from Mexico through Central America to Panama. Forages on the ground for seeds, berries, and invertebrates. Least Concern; commonly heard but seldom seen due to dense forest cover and secretive behavior.
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.