Ferruginous Partridge vs Cheer Pheasant
Caloperdix oculeus compared with Catreus wallichii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Ferruginous Partridge | Cheer Pheasant |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caloperdix oculeus | Catreus wallichii |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 28.3 cm (11.1 in) | 48.9 cm (19.3 in) |
| Weight | 210.5 g (7.43 oz) | 1327.5 g (46.83 oz) |
| Diet | Eats seeds, invertebrates, and small fruits on floor of Southeast Asian lowland and hill forests. … | Scratches for seeds, tubers, roots, and invertebrates on steep Himalayan hillsides; also takes berries and … |
| Clutch Size | 8-10 | 9-14 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Ferruginous Partridge
Sharp, staccato 'krik-krik-krik' calls from lowland rainforest; often given in duet. Alarm is a loud, rapid chattering rattle; contact notes between pairs soft and clucking.
Cheer Pheasant
Loud, far-carrying 'cheer-cheer-chirwa-chirwa' calls; responsible for common name. Himalayan species with ringing, slightly laughing quality to call. Alarm is a rapid harsh cackle from rocky slopes.
Geographic Range & Migration
Ferruginous Partridge
Resident in lowland rainforest of the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. Found in flat or gently sloping lowland forest.
Cheer Pheasant
Endemic to rocky hillside scrub and grass-covered slopes in the western Himalayas, from Pakistan east through India to Nepal, at 1,200–3,000 m.
Conservation Status
Ferruginous Partridge
Cheer Pheasant
How to Tell Them Apart
Ferruginous Partridge
Rich ferruginous (deep rusty-orange) overall; upperparts black-and-rufous barred; flanks black boldly spotted white; bare red facial skin; underparts rufous-orange; one of the most vividly coloured Southeast Asian partridges.
Cheer Pheasant
Pale grey-brown overall with dense dark brown vermiculations; buff-white underparts streaked brown; long pale grey tail narrowly barred brown; red facial skin; grey crest. Sexes alike but female smaller.
About These Birds
Ferruginous Partridge
A small partridge (~210 g) of family Phasianidae, with rich ferruginous (rust-red) plumage and spotted black-and-white markings. Inhabits lowland and foothill rainforests in Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo. Secretive, foraging on the forest floor for seeds and invertebrates. Near Threatened; associated with primary and tall secondary forest, declining with ongoing logging and land conversion.
Cheer Pheasant
A large Phasianidae pheasant (~1.33 kg) of grassy hillside scrub and forest margins in the western Himalayas. Both sexes are boldly barred grey-brown; the male has a long, finely barred tail. Diet encompasses grass shoots, roots, and invertebrates. Vulnerable from habitat loss and human disturbance.