Ferruginous Partridge vs Silver Pheasant
Caloperdix oculeus compared with Lophura nycthemera
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Ferruginous Partridge | Silver Pheasant |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caloperdix oculeus | Lophura nycthemera |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 28.3 cm (11.1 in) | 51.0 cm (20.1 in) |
| Weight | 210.5 g (7.43 oz) | 1345.0 g (47.44 oz) |
| Diet | Eats seeds, invertebrates, and small fruits on floor of Southeast Asian lowland and hill forests. … | Feeds on seeds, berries, roots, invertebrates, and small animals; scratches forest floor in SE Asian … |
| Clutch Size | 8-10 | 6-12 |
| 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.
Silver Pheasant
Loud 'kork-KORK' crowing calls from SE Asian mountain forest; sharper and crisper than Common Pheasant. Alarm is explosive cackle. Wing-drumming audible at dawn. Contact clucks soft and guttural.
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.
Silver Pheasant
Resident of forest and secondary growth in southern China, mainland Southeast Asia from Myanmar to Vietnam, and Hainan; at sea level to 2,000 m.
Conservation Status
Ferruginous Partridge
Silver 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.
Silver Pheasant
Male striking white above with dense black vermiculations; glossy blue-black below; long white tail; black crest; red facial wattle. Female uniformly dark brown above; buff below with dark streaking.
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.
Silver Pheasant
A large, elegant Phasianidae pheasant (~1.35 kg) of mainland Southeast Asia and southern China. Males are strikingly patterned with a white-laced upper body, glossy black underparts, red facial skin, and a long white tail. Inhabits montane and foothill forests. Omnivorous diet; popular in aviculture. Least Concern.