Grey Peacock-Pheasant vs African Blue Quail
Polyplectron bicalcaratum compared with Synoicus adansonii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Grey Peacock-Pheasant | African Blue Quail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Polyplectron bicalcaratum | Synoicus adansonii |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 40.2 cm (15.8 in) | 14.9 cm (5.9 in) |
| Weight | 479.75 g (16.92 oz) | 41.666666666666664 g (1.47 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous forest floor forager; takes seeds, fruits, invertebrates, and small vertebrates in mainland SE Asia. | Feeds on small grass seeds, invertebrates, and plant matter in African tropical grassland and wetland … |
| Clutch Size | 2-5 | 3-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Grey Peacock-Pheasant only
None
African Blue Quail only
Song & Call Comparison
Grey Peacock-Pheasant
Loud, penetrating 'kow-WEE' whistle; most vocal of peacock-pheasants, ringing through SE Asian forest. Male calls while displaying ocellated tail. Alarm is sharp 'kak'. Heard at dawn and dusk.
African Blue Quail
High, thin 'wee-wee-wee-wee' whistle in series; tiny, cryptic African grassland quail. Alarm is a sharp 'pip'. Very quiet overall; contact clucks barely audible. Calls at dawn and dusk.
Geographic Range & Migration
Grey Peacock-Pheasant
Resident of hill and montane forest from northeastern India and Bangladesh east through Myanmar to southern China and mainland Southeast Asia.
African Blue Quail
Nomadic resident of open grassland, wetland edge, and savanna across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia and south to Angola.
Conservation Status
Grey Peacock-Pheasant
African Blue Quail
How to Tell Them Apart
Grey Peacock-Pheasant
Grey-brown with buff-white shaft streaks and dark vermiculations; large oval iridescent green and purple ocelli on wing coverts and tail; white-scaled face; yellow orbital skin. Female similar but smaller ocelli.
African Blue Quail
Male dark slaty-blue overall with chestnut flanks; white face markings with black border; similar to Asian Blue Quail. Female brown with buff streaking; pale underparts. African counterpart of Asian Blue …
About These Birds
Grey Peacock-Pheasant
The most widespread Polyplectron peacock-pheasant (~480 g), inhabiting forest understorey from northeastern India through mainland Southeast Asia. Males are grey-brown peppered with violet-green ocelli. Forages on the ground for seeds, invertebrates, and small reptiles. Tolerates secondary forest; Least Concern.
African Blue Quail
A tiny Phasianidae quail (~42 g) of tall grasses and moist savanna across sub-Saharan Africa. Males have a slaty-blue face and rusty-buff flanks; one of Africa's smallest birds. Highly secretive; rarely flushed. Feeds on tiny grass seeds and invertebrates. Migratory or nomadic following rains. Least Concern.