Long-tailed Wood-partridge vs Banded Quail
Dendrortyx macroura compared with Philortyx fasciatus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Long-tailed Wood-partridge | Banded Quail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Dendrortyx macroura | Philortyx fasciatus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Odontophoridae | Odontophoridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) | 19.7 cm (7.8 in) |
| Weight | 386.5 g (13.63 oz) | 127.25 g (4.49 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous; eats seeds, invertebrates, tubers, and small fruits in Mexican highland pine-oak forests. Scratches ground … | Eats seeds and small invertebrates in Mexican thorn scrub and dry grassland. Forages on ground … |
| Clutch Size | 4-6 | 3-7 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Long-tailed Wood-partridge
Produces a loud, resonant oo-oo-oo hooting series; calls are lower-pitched than Buffy-crowned. The deep, carrying hoots echo through Mexican mountain forest and pine-oak woodland.
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
Long-tailed Wood-partridge
Endemic to the mountains of central Mexico from Jalisco to Oaxaca. Found at 1,500-3,000 m in pine-oak and cloud forest.
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
Long-tailed Wood-partridge
Banded Quail
How to Tell Them Apart
Long-tailed Wood-partridge
Rufous-brown above with black streaking; grey head with black-and-white facial streaks; exceptionally long rufous tail; underparts grey streaked black; longest tail of any wood-partridge.
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
Long-tailed Wood-partridge
A medium-sized New World quail (~385 g) of family Odontophoridae, with a long tail distinguishing it from related species. Endemic to Mexican highland forests, inhabiting cloud forest, pine-oak woodland, and humid mountain forest above 1,500 m. Feeds on seeds, plant material, and insects on the forest floor. Least Concern; restricted to Mexican mountains but common in suitable habitat.
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.