Mountain Quail vs Banded Quail
Oreortyx pictus compared with Philortyx fasciatus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Mountain Quail | Banded Quail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Oreortyx pictus | Philortyx fasciatus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Odontophoridae | Odontophoridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 26.8 cm (10.6 in) | 19.7 cm (7.8 in) |
| Weight | 237.83333333333334 g (8.39 oz) | 127.25 g (4.49 oz) |
| Diet | Eats seeds, berries, and leaves in chaparral and coniferous mountain forests. Also takes bulbs and … | Eats seeds and small invertebrates in Mexican thorn scrub and dry grassland. Forages on ground … |
| Clutch Size | 6-16 | 3-7 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
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 …
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
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.
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
Mountain Quail
Banded Quail
How to Tell Them Apart
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.
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
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.
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.