Gunnison Grouse vs Crested Partridge
Centrocercus minimus compared with Rollulus rouloul
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Gunnison Grouse | Crested Partridge |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Centrocercus minimus | Rollulus rouloul |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Endangered | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 57.0 cm (22.4 in) | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) |
| Weight | 1575.0 g (55.56 oz) | 250.5 g (8.84 oz) |
| Diet | Highly dependent on sagebrush for winter foliage; eats forbs and invertebrates in spring and summer. … | Forages on floor of Southeast Asian lowland rainforests for seeds, fallen fruits, and invertebrates. Scratches … |
| Clutch Size | 6-10 | 4-6 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Gunnison Grouse
Lek display similar to Sage Grouse but faster and higher-pitched: 'swish-swish-ploop-ploop'; 9-note sequence vs. 7 in Sage Grouse. Plume rattle more pronounced. Alarm is harsh cacking.
Crested Partridge
High-pitched, thin whistled 'seee' repeated persistently; metallic and insect-like. Males call from forest floor, rarely seen. Alarm is an explosive low grunt followed by rapid wing beats.
Geographic Range & Migration
Gunnison Grouse
Endemic to Gunnison Basin and adjacent areas of southwestern Colorado. Found in sagebrush habitat. Critically endangered.
Crested Partridge
Resident in lowland and foothill rainforest of Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo. Found below 1,500 m.
Conservation Status
Gunnison Grouse
Crested Partridge
How to Tell Them Apart
Gunnison Grouse
Male similar to Sage Grouse but smaller; black belly, white breast, spiky tail with more white barring; prominent white neck filoplumes; yellow eye-combs; yellow-green breast air sacs used in display.
Crested Partridge
Male is dark glossy green-black with vivid red-crimson erectile crest; red orbital skin; chestnut wings. Female is entirely bright emerald green with brown wings, red legs, and grey head; among …
About These Birds
Gunnison Grouse
A large grouse (~1.6 kg) of family Phasianidae, closely related to Sage Grouse but smaller with longer filoplumes during lek display. Restricted to the Gunnison Basin of southwestern Colorado and a small area of Utah. Entirely dependent on intact sagebrush habitat. Endangered; one of North America's rarest birds with fewer than 5,000 individuals, threatened by habitat fragmentation and drought.
Crested Partridge
A small partridge (~250 g) of family Phasianidae, males with vivid crimson crest and iridescent green plumage. Found in lowland tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia including Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo. Forages on the forest floor for fallen seeds, fruits, and invertebrates. Vulnerable; dependent on primary lowland forest, heavily impacted by deforestation and palm oil expansion.