Ferruginous Partridge vs Black-billed Capercaillie
Caloperdix oculeus compared with Tetrao urogalloides
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Ferruginous Partridge | Black-billed Capercaillie |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caloperdix oculeus | Tetrao urogalloides |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 28.3 cm (11.1 in) | 68.2 cm (26.9 in) |
| Weight | 210.5 g (7.43 oz) | 2957.5 g (104.32 oz) |
| Diet | Eats seeds, invertebrates, and small fruits on floor of Southeast Asian lowland and hill forests. … | Subsists mainly on larch needles in winter; takes berries, buds, and insects during the warmer … |
| Clutch Size | 8-10 | 5-10 |
| 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.
Black-billed Capercaillie
Similar to Western Capercaillie but generally higher-pitched; ticking phase faster, grinding phase shorter. Siberian larch forest species. Alarm is a loud bark; females give soft clucking brood calls.
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.
Black-billed Capercaillie
Resident of coniferous taiga in eastern Russia from the Lena River to the Pacific coast, Kamchatka, and northeastern China.
Conservation Status
Ferruginous Partridge
Black-billed Capercaillie
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.
Black-billed Capercaillie
Male uniformly glossy blue-black with slight greenish sheen on breast; smaller white wing spots than Western Capercaillie; black bill. Female barred rufous-buff and dark brown, paler below than congener.
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.
Black-billed Capercaillie
A very large Phasianidae grouse (~2.96 kg) of Siberian larch and pine forests east of the Yenisei River. Closely related to the Western Capercaillie but distinguished by an all-black bill. Lekking males fan tail feathers dramatically. Feeds on needles and buds; Least Concern.