Spotted Wood-quail vs Mountain Quail
Odontophorus guttatus compared with Oreortyx pictus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Spotted Wood-quail | Mountain Quail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Odontophorus guttatus | Oreortyx pictus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Odontophoridae | Odontophoridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 29.2 cm (11.5 in) | 26.8 cm (10.6 in) |
| Weight | 304.0 g (10.72 oz) | 237.83333333333334 g (8.39 oz) |
| Diet | Forages on floor of Central American and South American forests for seeds, invertebrates, and small … | Eats seeds, berries, and leaves in chaparral and coniferous mountain forests. Also takes bulbs and … |
| Clutch Size | -- | 6-16 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Spotted Wood-quail
Resonant, slightly buzzy 'kwuh-WEE-kwuh' antiphonal duet; buzzy quality distinguishes it from congeners. Dawn chorus is particularly loud; alarm is rapid harsh 'kek-kek' rattling.
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
Spotted Wood-quail
Resident from Mexico south through Central America. Found in humid lowland and foothill forest.
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
Spotted Wood-quail
Mountain Quail
How to Tell Them Apart
Spotted Wood-quail
Dark brown above finely streaked; underparts boldly spotted with pale buff-white on dark brown; bare orange-red eye-ring; orange crest small and bright; spotted underparts and orange crest are distinctive.
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
Spotted Wood-quail
A medium-sized New World quail (~300 g) of family Odontophoridae, with bold white spotting on rufous-brown plumage. Inhabits humid lowland and foothill forests from Mexico (Chiapas) through Central America to Colombia and Venezuela. Forages in pairs on the forest floor for seeds, berries, and invertebrates. Least Concern; widespread in Middle American forests.
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.