Scaled Quail vs Montezuma Quail
Callipepla squamata verglichen mit Cyrtonyx montezumae
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Merkmal | Scaled Quail | Montezuma Quail |
|---|---|---|
| Wissenschaftlicher Name | Callipepla squamata | Cyrtonyx montezumae |
| Ordnung | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Familie | Odontophoridae | Odontophoridae |
| Erhaltungsstatus | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Länge | — | — |
| Flügelspannweite | 23,2 cm (9.1 in) | 24,0 cm (9.4 in) |
| Gewicht | 195,5 g (6.90 oz) | 185,5 g (6.54 oz) |
| Ernährung | Feeds on seeds, leaves, and cacti in arid southwestern US scrubland. Takes invertebrates especially during … | Omnivorous; digs for bulbs, tubers, seeds, and invertebrates with its stout bill in Mexican pine-oak … |
| Gelegegröße | 3-16 | 2-15 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Scaled Quail
Male gives a nasal, emphatic pay-COS call; coveys scatter with rapid, chattering clucks. The distinctive, nasal pay-COS call is the species' advertising call; carries across desert grassland.
Montezuma Quail
Eerie, descending wavering whistle 'wheeeoo' given by male from grass; ghostly and ventriloquial. Alarm is a low nasal 'wee-wee'; flushed birds produce loud burst of wing beats.
Geographic Range & Migration
Scaled Quail
Resident in the semi-arid grasslands and desert scrub of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Found in arid and semi-arid plains.
Montezuma Quail
Resident in the mountains of Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas at 1,400-3,000 m. Found in oak and pine-oak woodland.
Erhaltungsstatus
Scaled Quail
Montezuma Quail
How to Tell Them Apart
Scaled Quail
Bluish-grey overall with black-edged feathers creating prominent scaly pattern on breast and flanks; white-tipped crest fluffy and pale; back brownish-grey; sexes similar but female slightly duller.
Montezuma Quail
Male has harlequin black-and-white face with bold white stripes and spots; chestnut-brown body with white spots on flanks; blue-grey crest; female cryptically mottled brown with faint facial pattern.
About These Birds
Scaled Quail
A medium-sized New World quail (~195 g) of family Odontophoridae, with scaly grey-brown plumage and a whitish cottontop crest. Inhabits semi-arid shrublands, grasslands, and desert scrub from the southwestern United States to central Mexico. Forages in coveys for seeds and invertebrates. Least Concern; well adapted to arid environments, commonly hunted for sport.
Montezuma Quail
A small rotund New World quail (~185 g) of family Odontophoridae, males with a harlequin-patterned black and white face. Inhabits pine-oak and grassland habitats in montane areas from Arizona and Texas to Honduras. Forages by digging bulbs and tubers with strong curved claws. Least Concern; cryptic and rarely seen; populations declining with overgrazing of native bunchgrass.