Red-necked Spurfowl vs African Blue Quail
Pternistis afer compared with Synoicus adansonii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Red-necked Spurfowl | African Blue Quail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Pternistis afer | Synoicus adansonii |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 34.0 cm (13.4 in) | 14.9 cm (5.9 in) |
| Weight | 574.1666666666666 g (20.25 oz) | 41.666666666666664 g (1.47 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous; eats seeds, berries, invertebrates, and small animals in African savanna and scrubby woodland. | Feeds on small grass seeds, invertebrates, and plant matter in African tropical grassland and wetland … |
| Clutch Size | 3-9 | 3-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Red-necked Spurfowl only
African Blue Quail only
None
Song & Call Comparison
Red-necked Spurfowl
Loud, harsh crowing duet; raucous 'krrreek-krrreek' repeated vigorously; common call at dawn in dense bush; alarm a rapid staccato clucking
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
Red-necked Spurfowl
Resident of open woodland, forest edge, and moist savanna from Ethiopia and Somalia south through East Africa to South Africa.
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
Red-necked Spurfowl
African Blue Quail
How to Tell Them Apart
Red-necked Spurfowl
Brown above with pale buff shaft streaks; white below with dense dark brown streaking; bare bright red facial skin extending prominently down neck diagnostic; red legs; dark bill. Sexes similar; …
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
Red-necked Spurfowl
A medium-large Phasianidae spurfowl (~574 g) of woodland, riverine scrub, and cultivated edges across eastern and southern Africa. Bright red bill, throat, and facial skin are unmistakable. Pairs or small groups forage on seeds, roots, and invertebrates. Calls loud and raucous at dawn; 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.