Chinese Bamboo-partridge vs Altai Snowcock
Bambusicola thoracicus compared with Tetraogallus altaicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Chinese Bamboo-partridge | Altai Snowcock |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Bambusicola thoracicus | Tetraogallus altaicus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 25.7 cm (10.1 in) | 56.9 cm (22.4 in) |
| Weight | 270.25 g (9.53 oz) | 2770.0 g (97.71 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on seeds, berries, invertebrates, and plant shoots in bamboo thickets and scrub of China … | Feeds on alpine grasses, seeds, berries, and shoots; digs for roots and bulbs in Altai … |
| Clutch Size | 3-7 | 4-15 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Chinese Bamboo-partridge
Loud, rapid 'jiji-ji-jiji' calls; raucous and insistent from Chinese bamboo thickets. Alarm is explosive cackling. Popular cage bird for persistent calls. Contact notes softer between birds.
Altai Snowcock
Loud, ringing whistled 'whi-WHEEE' echoing across Altai alpine slopes; deeper than Tibetan Snowcock due to larger size. Alarm is rapid barking. Calls at dawn from rocky ridgelines.
Geographic Range & Migration
Chinese Bamboo-partridge
Resident of bamboo, scrub, and forest edge in southeastern China, Taiwan, and Indochina; introduced to Japan and Hawaii.
Altai Snowcock
Resident of alpine rocky slopes and grassy hillsides in the Altai and Sayan mountains of Russia, Kazakhstan, and western Mongolia, at 2,000–4,000 m.
Conservation Status
Chinese Bamboo-partridge
Altai Snowcock
How to Tell Them Apart
Chinese Bamboo-partridge
Brown upperparts with chestnut streaks; grey face and supercilium; chestnut-spotted buff flanks; white belly; grey breast; rufous-chestnut tail. Female similar but slightly smaller; lacks tarsal spur of male.
Altai Snowcock
Largest snowcock; grey-brown upperparts with buff streaks; white underparts with grey breast; rufous necklace streaks on lower neck; white outer tail in flight; whitish face with dark ear patch. Sexes …
About These Birds
Chinese Bamboo-partridge
A small, noisy Phasianidae partridge (~270 g) widespread in bamboo thickets, scrub, and woodland edges of eastern and central China. Brown and grey plumage provides camouflage in dense vegetation. Famous for its repeated 'kicking-your-bottom' call. Omnivorous; feeds on seeds and invertebrates. Least Concern.
Altai Snowcock
The largest snowcock (~2.77 kg), family Phasianidae, of alpine scree and subalpine meadows in the Altai and Tian Shan ranges of Central Asia. Heavily built, grey and white with rusty-brown markings. Feeds on roots, bulbs, and alpine plants. Forms small flocks outside breeding season. Least Concern.