Long-billed Partridge vs African Blue Quail
Rhizothera longirostris compared with Synoicus adansonii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Long-billed Partridge | African Blue Quail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Rhizothera longirostris | Synoicus adansonii |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 36.9 cm (14.5 in) | 14.9 cm (5.9 in) |
| Weight | 748.5 g (26.40 oz) | 41.666666666666664 g (1.47 oz) |
| Diet | Forages in lowland rainforest for seeds, fallen fruit, invertebrates, and small animals; probes leaf litter … | 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
Long-billed Partridge only
None
African Blue Quail only
Song & Call Comparison
Long-billed Partridge
Loud, resonant 'whurr-WHEEE' whistle from Bornean lowland forest; far-carrying and slightly mournful. Alarm is a rapid chattering cackle. Contact calls between pairs are low, guttural clucks.
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
Long-billed Partridge
Resident of lowland and hill dipterocarp forest in peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo up to 900 m elevation.
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
Long-billed Partridge
African Blue Quail
How to Tell Them Apart
Long-billed Partridge
Rich chestnut-brown upperparts with black scalloping; pale grey face and throat; buff-white underparts with dark brown streaking on flanks; distinctive elongated pale yellow bill and red orbital skin.
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
Long-billed Partridge
A distinctive Phasianidae partridge (~749 g) of lowland and foothill rainforests in Sundaland. Named for its notably elongated bill used to probe leaf litter for invertebrates and seeds. Secretive and seldom seen; Near Threatened from deforestation across Borneo and the Malay Peninsula.
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.