Sooty Grouse vs Crested Partridge
Dendragapus fuliginosus compared with Rollulus rouloul
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Sooty Grouse | Crested Partridge |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Dendragapus fuliginosus | Rollulus rouloul |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 44.6 cm (17.6 in) | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) |
| Weight | 1016.25 g (35.85 oz) | 250.5 g (8.84 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on conifer needles, especially Douglas-fir, in winter; berries, leaves, seeds, and insects in summer. | Forages on floor of Southeast Asian lowland rainforests for seeds, fallen fruits, and invertebrates. Scratches … |
| Clutch Size | 6-12 | 4-6 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Sooty Grouse
Deep, booming 'hoot-hoot-hoot-hoot-hoot' from treetop perch; inflated cervical sacs amplify resonance. Similar to Dusky Grouse but with subtle tonal differences. Alarm is rapid sharp clucking.
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
Sooty Grouse
Resident along the Pacific coast and Cascade-Sierra ranges from Alaska south to northern California. Found in coastal coniferous forest.
Crested Partridge
Resident in lowland and foothill rainforest of Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo. Found below 1,500 m.
Conservation Status
Sooty Grouse
Crested Partridge
How to Tell Them Apart
Sooty Grouse
Male is dark sooty-grey; tail grey with broad pale grey terminal band; yellow eye-comb; bare pink-purple neck sac visible during display. Female mottled dark brown; overall darker than Dusky Grouse.
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
Sooty Grouse
A large grouse (~1 kg) of family Phasianidae, males uniformly dark sooty-grey with yellow-orange eyecomb. Inhabits coastal and Pacific mountain forests from Alaska to California. Feeds on conifer needles, especially fir and hemlock, in winter; berries and invertebrates in summer. Migrates upslope in winter, opposite to most birds. Least Concern; common along the Pacific Coast mountain ranges.
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.