Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Mountain Quail (Oreortyx pictus)
Mountain Quail

Mountain Quail

Oreortyx pictus

The Mountain Quail (Oreortyx pictus), is a small, ground-dwelling bird, distinguished by its unique topknots. Males and females are similar in appearance, though the female's topknot is shorter and their coloration varies slightly. These birds exhibit a brown face, a gray breast, and a brown back with primaries, while their underside is heavily barred with white. As they mature, their wing coverts transition from multicolored to a solid hue.

Identification Tips

To identify the Mountain Quail, look for its average length of 26–28 cm (10–11 in) and a wingspan of 35–40 cm (14–16 in). Their rounded wings are relatively short, and they possess long, featherless legs. The seasonal and geographical changes in the color of their topknots can be a helpful identification marker, along with the wider white barring on the flanks of females.

Habitat

This species thrives in mountainous chaparral west of the Rocky Mountains and can be found in areas such as the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Coast Range, and lava reefs of the Modoc Plateau. They are also known to inhabit wooded areas and are adaptable up to elevations of 3,000 m (9,800 ft).

Distribution

The Mountain Quail ranges from British Columbia in Canada through various parts of the United States to the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. They are non-migratory, although some populations may move to different altitudes within mountain ranges seasonally.

Behaviour

These quails are primarily terrestrial, adept at swiftly navigating through underbrush. They form family groups of up to 20 birds outside the breeding season and are known for their secretive nature. When they do take flight, it is typically a brief, vigorous burst followed by a glide to safety.

Breeding

Mountain Quail are monogamous, with the female laying 9–10 eggs in a simple scrape, often near water. Incubation lasts 21 to 25 days, primarily by the female. Remarkably, males may also incubate, suggesting the potential for raising two broods per season. Chicks are precocial and leave the nest shortly after hatching.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Mountain Quail consists mainly of plant matter and seeds. Chicks have a more insectivorous diet, which gradually shifts to plants as they grow.

Conservation status

The IUCN lists the Mountain Quail as Least Concern, with a broad and plentiful range. However, their success is closely linked to the availability of suitable habitat, which is influenced by climate and human activities such as agriculture and development.

Mountain Quail Sounds



Recorded by: © 
App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Mountain Quail Fun Facts

Did you know?
Mountain Quails is the largest quail in the United States.

Mountain Quails on Birda

Sightings

More New World Quail

A photo of a California Quail (Callipepla californica) , male

California Quail

Callipepla californica
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Stewart W
Fantastic to be involved
Fantastic to be involved, great for mental health and gets you responding with the Challenges that are to takd part in.
Emcil24
A Friendly Place
I love using the bird app, I have a pretty good knowledge of birds. But I do have some gaps in it, so it’s nice to have a safe space to check on a sighting to confirm the species. It’s really enjoyable and I love the badges you can collect. It’s like a real life Pokémon go.
Jane N
A great app
Enjoying it immensely and finding it useful too. Recording the different birds and counting them is showing me how the present climate is affecting them all. I've trebled the numbers by planting native hedging. A great app.
Marlster24
Very Wholesome App
Joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😄
Foxgirl100
Great app for beginner twitchers
I’ve had a passion of photographing birds for a long time now but have only just gotten into proper birdwatching, and this app is brilliant for those just getting started. There is a great sense of community among users and the app is very easy to use and professional. Awesome app altogether
Unbridled Discoveries
Great app for bird lovers
I love this app! It’s a wonderful way to track birding sessions, and also connect you with fellow birders. I also really like the unidentified bird section, it’s a great community tool to help figure out what a never-before-seen bird is!
Amylia S
Best app for any birding person!
I love this app!! I am so addicted to it when I saw it had 3 star review I was so sad! The app is awesome!! The best app for any birding person! ❤️
Louise L
Easy to use and accurate
Love this app. It is easy to use and accurate, Their backup communication is really good. I noted a missing species. All through the process, I was kept informed about the progress in correcting the information. I now have the corrected, updated version. 😁 Thanks!
Sacha0508
Simply fantastic
I love this app, it puts so much fun into recording the birds I’ve seen and heard while I’m out and about. The interface is user-friendly and suitable for all ages. It’s great to collect badges and to review my “lists”.
Madstherangers
A mordern game changer
Birda is an awesome app, its updated the world of birding to the modern day with a fun and easy to use app. It’s engaging and allows positive interaction with fellow bird lovers!
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.