Lady Amherst's Pheasant vs Ahanta Spurfowl
Chrysolophus amherstiae compared with Pternistis ahantensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lady Amherst's Pheasant | Ahanta Spurfowl |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Chrysolophus amherstiae | Pternistis ahantensis |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 40.8 cm (16.1 in) | 34.6 cm (13.6 in) |
| Weight | 738.25 g (26.04 oz) | 547.5 g (19.31 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous ground feeder; eats seeds, berries, plant shoots, invertebrates, and small animals in montane forests. | Feeds on seeds, invertebrates, and plant matter in West African lowland forest and thicket. |
| Clutch Size | 6-7 | 3-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Lady Amherst's Pheasant
Sharp, rasping 'chak-chak' call from Yunnan highland forest; very similar to Golden Pheasant but lower. Alarm is an explosive cackle. Males rarely call; wing clapping and ruff display primary.
Ahanta Spurfowl
Loud, staccato 'krak-krak-KRAAK' from W African forest edge; slightly higher than larger spurfowl. Alarm is rapid explosive cackling. Pairs call in loose synchrony at dawn in secondary growth.
Geographic Range & Migration
Lady Amherst's Pheasant
Native to mountain forest in southwestern China (Yunnan, Sichuan) and adjacent Myanmar; introduced in Britain and scattered localities worldwide.
Ahanta Spurfowl
Resident of dense lowland and coastal forest in West Africa from Ghana to Cameroon; also found in Bioko Island.
Conservation Status
Lady Amherst's Pheasant
Ahanta Spurfowl
How to Tell Them Apart
Lady Amherst's Pheasant
Male with white and black barred ruff; white underparts; iridescent green mantle; crimson crest; elongated white tail barred black up to 1.5 m. Female mottled brown and rufous, similar to …
Ahanta Spurfowl
Dark brown above with pale buff shaft streaks; whitish below with dark brown streaking; red bill; red orbital skin; yellow legs. Sexes similar; closely resembles Double-spurred Spurfowl; West African forests.
About These Birds
Lady Amherst's Pheasant
A brilliantly ornate Phasianidae pheasant (~738 g) from bamboo forest and scrub in southwestern China and adjacent Myanmar. Males sport a green and black head, white cape barred black, and an extremely long white tail. Omnivorous; forages on ground. Introduced to Britain; Least Concern.
Ahanta Spurfowl
A medium Phasianidae spurfowl (~548 g) of lowland and secondary forest edges in West Africa from Ivory Coast to Nigeria. Dark brown streaked white; red orbital skin. Forages on the ground in pairs or small groups for seeds, berries, and invertebrates. Tolerates forest fragments; Least Concern.