Photo: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - Pacific Region's / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Mountain Quail
Oreortyx pictus
Mountain Quail (Oreortyx pictus) — Gamebirds of North America.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Mountain Quail (Oreortyx pictus) is a member of the Odontophoridae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 233 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Galliformes
- Family Odontophoridae New World Quail
- Genus Oreortyx
- Species pictus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 233 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Odontophoridae
- Order
- Galliformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Mountain Quail is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Mountain Quail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Mountain Quail (Oreortyx pictus) is a member of the Odontophoridae family, within the order Galliformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA sw Canada to Baja California.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 233 g, with a wing length of about 13.4 cm and a tail of around 7.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 346,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Mountain Quail?
The Mountain Quail is a large bird that weighs around 233 g.
Where does the Mountain Quail live?
The Mountain Quail is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA sw Canada to Baja California, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Mountain Quail belong to?
The Mountain Quail (Oreortyx pictus) belongs to the Odontophoridae family, in the order Galliformes.
What does the Mountain Quail eat?
The Mountain Quail is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Mountain Quail migrate?
The Mountain Quail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Mountain Quail endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Mountain Quail make?
1 real field recording of the Mountain Quail — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Mountain Quail's range?
The Mountain Quail has a mapped global range of about 346,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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