Bird Guide

Mountain Quail vs Scaled Quail

Mountain Quail (Oreortyx pictus)

Mountain Quail

Oreortyx pictus

Medium233 gShrubland

The bird's average length is 26–28 cm (10–11 in), with a wingspan of 35–40 cm (14–16 in). They have relatively short, rounded wings and long, featherless legs. These birds are easily recognized by their topknots, which are shorter in the female and change color with the seasons and geographic location of particular populations. They have a brown face, gray breast, brown back and primaries, and heavily white barred underside. Females display greater brown coloring on their dorsal side, a paler red on their undersides, and wider white barring on the flank than their male counterparts.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Mountain Quail
Recorded by Diana Doyle · Alarm call · Ashland, Jackson County, Oregon, United States · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - Pacific Region's · CC BY 2.0
Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata)

Scaled Quail

Callipepla squamata

Medium184 gShrubland

This bird is named for the scaly appearance of its breast and back feathers. Along with its scaly markings, the bird is easily identified by its white crest that resembles a tuft of cotton. It typically measures 25.4–30.5 cm (10.0–12.0 in) in length, 38 cm (15 in) in wingspan, and weighs 177–191 g (6.2–6.7 oz).

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Photo by Gary Kramer, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Cropped, dust cleaned up. · Public domain

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Mountain Quail and Scaled Quail.