Bird Guide

Marbled Wood Quail vs Singing Quail

Marbled Wood Quail (Odontophorus gujanensis)

Marbled Wood Quail

Odontophorus gujanensis

Large314 gForest

Adult marbled wood quails grow to a length of between 23 and 29 cm (9 and 11 in). The bill is stout and dark-coloured and the legs and feet are bluish-grey. The iris of the eye is brown and there is orange or red bare skin around the eye. The sexes are similar in appearance; the front of the crown and cheeks are reddish-brown and the dark brown, vermiculated feathers on the crown are ruffled to form a short, loose crest. The mantle and neck are greyish-brown, the back and wings are brown with black vermiculations and the rump and upper-tail coverts are indistinctly spotted with paler colour.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Marbled Wood Quail
Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Call · Napo: 'Gareno (Guaponi) Lodge', Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: (c) agujaceratops, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY
Singing Quail (Dactylortyx thoracicus)

Singing Quail

Dactylortyx thoracicus

Medium202 gForest

The singing quail is 20 to 23 cm (7.9 to 9.1 in) long. Males weigh 180 to 266 g (6.3 to 9.4 oz) and females 115 to 206 g (4.1 to 7.3 oz). The smallest birds are found near sea level and the largest in the mountains. Adult males of the nominate subspecies have a dark brown crown, a buff and black "collar", and a tawny orange face with a black streak behind the eye. The back and wings are mottled gray and brown with thin white streaks; the rump is olive brown or gray and has black vermiculation. The breast and belly are grayish brown with white streaks and the lower belly is white. Voice: The singing quail has a "oud, far-carrying, rhythmic song". It "commences with a series of hesitant, plaintive whistles, which increase in frequency and pitch into a rapidly delivered series, on varying pitch" and may be sung by several members of a covey. Coveys also give a weak twittering contact call.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Singing Quail
Recorded by Tour Guide Salvatore · Song · Santiago Atitlán, Solola, Guatemala · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Tommy Andriollo · CC BY 4.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Marbled Wood Quail and Singing Quail.