Blood Pheasant vs Ahanta Spurfowl
Ithaginis cruentus compared with Pternistis ahantensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Blood Pheasant | Ahanta Spurfowl |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ithaginis cruentus | Pternistis ahantensis |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 39.1 cm (15.4 in) | 34.6 cm (13.6 in) |
| Weight | 535.8333333333334 g (18.90 oz) | 547.5 g (19.31 oz) |
| Diet | Eats seeds, berries, moss, ferns, and invertebrates in Himalayan and Central Asian coniferous forests. Feeds … | Feeds on seeds, invertebrates, and plant matter in West African lowland forest and thicket. |
| Clutch Size | 2-7 | 3-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Blood Pheasant
Sharp, nasal 'kip-kip-kip' contact calls; alarm is a loud, harsh chattering rattle audible across alpine rhododendron scrub. Song is a series of thin, whistled 'tsee' notes at dawn.
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
Blood Pheasant
Resident in the Himalayas and mountains of western China from Pakistan east to Yunnan at 2,400-4,500 m. Found in rhododendron and coniferous forest.
Ahanta Spurfowl
Resident of dense lowland and coastal forest in West Africa from Ghana to Cameroon; also found in Bioko Island.
Conservation Status
Blood Pheasant
Ahanta Spurfowl
How to Tell Them Apart
Blood Pheasant
Male has grey and black streaked upperparts; red forehead, red streaks on breast and flanks; red-and-yellow legs; bare red facial skin. Female is rusty-brown streaked darker with no red; markedly …
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
Blood Pheasant
A medium-sized pheasant (~535 g) of family Phasianidae, males with blood-red streaked plumage on green and grey tones. Inhabits dense subalpine forests and rhododendron scrub in the Himalayas from Nepal to southwestern China at 2,800–4,500 m elevation. Feeds on mosses, ferns, berries, and seeds. Least Concern; the sole member of genus Ithaginis with a broad Himalayan distribution.
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.