Definition

Noun 1. A game bird native to California: The mountain partridge is a species of bird (Oreortyx pictus) also known as the mountain quail. It is slightly larger than the California quail (Callipepla californica).

Usage Notes

• The term "mountain partridge" specifically refers to this single species of bird. It is a compound noun naming a particular animal.
• It is often used in ornithological, hunting, and regional natural history contexts.
• While "partridge" is a common name for several bird species, "mountain partridge" is not interchangeable with other partridge species.

Examples

• We spotted a covey of mountain partridge near the ridge.
• The mountain partridge is distinguished by its long, straight head plume.
• His research focuses on the habitat range of the mountain partridge.

Advanced Usage

• The name is sometimes used in a hyphenated form ("mountain-partridge") in older taxonomic lists.
• In precise scientific writing, the formal Latin binomial is preferred to avoid ambiguity.

Variants and Related Words

• Mountain quail: The more frequently used common name for the same bird ().
• Partridge (noun): A general term for medium-sized game birds in the families Phasianidae or Odontophoridae, which includes species like the gray partridge and the chukar.
• California quail (noun): A different, smaller species () often compared to the mountain partridge.

Synonyms

• Mountain quail
• (scientific name)

Notes on Meaning

• The definition "slightly larger than the California quail" is a key distinguishing feature from its more common relative.
• It does not refer to a partridge that lives in the mountains in a general sense, but to this specific species.

Noun

1. California partridge; slightly larger than the California quail