Mountain Quail Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesMountain Quail
Adult
Large, round-bodied quail with 2 straight plumes, that often appear as one on top of its head. Note chestnut throat, bold white bars on its side, and a short tail.
© Steve Rottenborn / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, December 31, 2012Adult
Large, round-bodied quail with 2 straight plumes, that often appear as one on top of its head. Note chestnut throat, bold white bars on its side, and a short tail.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, May 23, 2020Adult
Rapidly walks or runs along the ground, usually sticking close to cover.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, July 27, 1997Adult
Large, round-bodied quail with 2 straight plumes, that often appear as one on top of its head. Note chestnut throat, bold white bars on its side, and rusty undertail coverts.
© Ken Chamberlain / Macaulay LibraryOregon, July 12, 2015Immature
Immatures are mottled brown overall with a shorter brown plume.
© Matt Davis / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, August 05, 2016Adult
Found in shrubby areas in mountains in the western United States.
© Matt Davis / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, July 15, 2015Adult
Forages primarily on the ground. Rapidly kicks its feet back and forth in leaf litter to uncover seeds and insects.
© Jeff Stacey / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, June 02, 2015Similar SpeciesCalifornia Quail
Male
Male California Quail have a curving plume rather than a long, straight one. They have a brown crown and fine black-and-white markings on the back of the neck that Mountain Quail lack.
© Brad Imhoff / Macaulay LibraryUtah, June 30, 2016Similar SpeciesCalifornia Quail
Female
Female California Quail have a shorter topknot and lack the strong brown throat with white outline of Mountain Quail. California Quail have a scaly pattern on the belly and the white streaks on the side are small and horizontal instead of heavy and vertical as on Mountain Quail.
© Ariel Cabrera Foix / Macaulay LibraryRegión Metropolitana de Santiago, April 11, 2017Similar SpeciesGambel's Quail
Male
Gambel's Quail live mainly in deserts at lower elevations than Mountain Quail. In male Gambel's the head plume is curved rather than long and straight. The belly is buffy, not gray, and the side streaks are horizontal and finer than Mountain Quail's.
© Gordon Karre / Macaulay LibraryArizona, March 03, 2017Similar SpeciesGambel's Quail
Female
Gambel's Quail live mainly in deserts at lower elevations than Mountain Quail. Females have a short, curving head plume, a buffy (not gray) belly, and small horizontal white streaks on the sides, instead of thick vertical stripes.
© Eric Gofreed / Macaulay LibraryArizona, December 28, 2016Similar SpeciesChukar
Adult
Chukars are sandy brown overall with strong dark bars on the sides. They have white throats outlined with black, more or less opposite the Mountain Quail's dark throat with white outline.
© Justyn Stahl / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, May 29, 2015Similar SpeciesGray Partridge
Male
Male Gray Partridges have tawny faces and chestnut barring on the sides instead of broad white stripes. They lack the Mountain Quail's long, straight crest.
© Lauri Taylor / Macaulay LibraryUtah, January 22, 2016Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
New World Quail(Order: Galliformes, Family: Odontophoridae)
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