Mountain Quail vs Stone Partridge
Oreortyx pictus compared with Ptilopachus petrosus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Mountain Quail | Stone Partridge |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Oreortyx pictus | Ptilopachus petrosus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Odontophoridae | Odontophoridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 26.8 cm (10.6 in) | 23.4 cm (9.2 in) |
| Weight | 237.83333333333334 g (8.39 oz) | 192.5 g (6.79 oz) |
| Diet | Eats seeds, berries, and leaves in chaparral and coniferous mountain forests. Also takes bulbs and … | Forages on rocky hillsides in West and Central Africa for seeds, invertebrates, and small plant … |
| Clutch Size | 6-16 | 4-6 |
| 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 …
Stone Partridge
Emits a clear, whistled peet-peet call and soft clucking series. The repeated, clear whistle is far-carrying and melodious for a partridge; heard on West African rocky outcrops.
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.
Stone Partridge
Resident in rocky hillsides and savanna of West Africa from Senegal east to Cameroon and Chad. Found in rocky terrain with grass and bushes.
Conservation Status
Mountain Quail
Stone Partridge
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.
Stone Partridge
Dark brown above, finely vermiculated with buff; rufous tail often cocked; underparts pale buff-brown with dark scaling; bare red eye-ring; short rounded wings; sexes similar.
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.
Stone Partridge
A small partridge (~190 g) of family Odontophoridae, with brown-barred plumage and a short rounded tail often cocked upright. Inhabits rocky hillsides, inselbergs, and stony savanna in sub-Saharan West and Central Africa. Forages for seeds and insects on the ground. Least Concern; an unusual African member of the New World quail family with a predominantly terrestrial lifestyle.