Rufous-breasted Wood-quail vs Mountain Quail
Odontophorus speciosus compared with Oreortyx pictus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rufous-breasted Wood-quail | Mountain Quail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Odontophorus speciosus | Oreortyx pictus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Odontophoridae | Odontophoridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 26.7 cm (10.5 in) | 26.8 cm (10.6 in) |
| Weight | 317.0 g (11.18 oz) | 237.83333333333334 g (8.39 oz) |
| Diet | Eats seeds, invertebrates, and small fruits on floor of Andean foothill forests in Ecuador, Peru, … | Eats seeds, berries, and leaves in chaparral and coniferous mountain forests. Also takes bulbs and … |
| Clutch Size | 5 | 6-16 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Rufous-breasted Wood-quail
Paired 'co-WEE-oo' whistles, antiphonal between male and female; rich, flute-like tone in humid Andean forest. Alarm note is a rapid low 'krrk'; roost contact is muted clucking.
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
Rufous-breasted Wood-quail
Resident in the east Andean foothills of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia at 800-2,400 m. Found in humid cloud 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
Rufous-breasted Wood-quail
Mountain Quail
How to Tell Them Apart
Rufous-breasted Wood-quail
Upperparts dark brown streaked buff; throat and breast bright rufous-orange contrasting sharply with dark back; flanks dark brown barred; bare reddish eye-ring; bright rufous breast is key feature.
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
Rufous-breasted Wood-quail
A medium-sized New World quail (~315 g) of family Odontophoridae, with warm rufous breast and flanks. Inhabits humid and cloud forests in the Andes of Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador at 500–2,000 m elevation. Forages on the forest floor in pairs or small groups for seeds, berries, and invertebrates. Least Concern; broadly distributed in Andean mid-elevation forests with stable populations.
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.