Ferruginous Partridge vs Sage Grouse

Caloperdix oculeus compared with Centrocercus urophasianus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Ferruginous Partridge Sage Grouse
Scientific Name Caloperdix oculeus Centrocercus urophasianus
Order Galliformes Galliformes
Family Phasianidae Phasianidae
Conservation Status Near Threatened Near Threatened
Length
Wingspan 28.3 cm (11.1 in) 61.2 cm (24.1 in)
Weight 210.5 g (7.43 oz) 2100.0 g (74.08 oz)
Diet Eats seeds, invertebrates, and small fruits on floor of Southeast Asian lowland and hill forests. … Feeds almost entirely on sagebrush leaves and buds in winter; insects and forbs important in …
Clutch Size 8-10 7-15
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Ferruginous Partridge only

Sage Grouse only

Song & Call Comparison

Ferruginous Partridge

Song

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.

Sage Grouse

Song

Males produce extraordinary lek display: deep swishing 'swish-swish-coo-OO-ploop' using air sacs; low frequency, liquid, and otherworldly. Alarm is a cackling 'cac-cac'; females cluck softly.

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.

Sage Grouse

Resident in sagebrush habitat of the western United States and southwestern Canada. Found in semi-arid plains with Artemisia. Vulnerable.

Conservation Status

Near Threatened

Ferruginous Partridge

Near Threatened

Sage Grouse

How to Tell Them Apart

Ferruginous Partridge

Plumage

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.

Sage Grouse

Plumage

Male has black belly, white breast, spiky pointed tail; yellow eye-combs; during display inflates yellow-green bare breast sacs exposing white feather ruff. Female mottled brown with dark belly patch.

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.

Sage Grouse

The largest North American grouse (~2.1 kg), family Phasianidae, males with a spiked tail and inflatable yellow air sacs used in elaborate lek displays. Entirely dependent on sagebrush (Artemisia) ecosystems in the western United States and Canada for food and nesting. Feeds primarily on sagebrush leaves. Near Threatened; population severely declined due to widespread sagebrush habitat conversion.

More Birds to Explore

Explore the Nature FYI Family