Rock Ptarmigan vs Crested Partridge
Lagopus muta compared with Rollulus rouloul
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rock Ptarmigan | Crested Partridge |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Lagopus muta | Rollulus rouloul |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 37.7 cm (14.8 in) | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) |
| Weight | 608.5 g (21.46 oz) | 250.5 g (8.84 oz) |
| Diet | Eats alpine plants, buds, berries, seeds, and lichen; shifts to willow/birch buds in winter when … | Forages on floor of Southeast Asian lowland rainforests for seeds, fallen fruits, and invertebrates. Scratches … |
| Clutch Size | 3-11 | 4-6 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Rock Ptarmigan
Males produce a belching, rattling 'er-err-errr-karr' from rocky alpine terrain; deep, guttural, and frog-like. Alarm is sharp 'kek-kek'. Contact calls low and rolling; female clucks softly.
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
Rock Ptarmigan
Circumpolar resident of Arctic and alpine tundra across North America, Europe, and Asia. Resident or short-distance altitudinal migrant.
Crested Partridge
Resident in lowland and foothill rainforest of Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo. Found below 1,500 m.
Conservation Status
Rock Ptarmigan
Crested Partridge
How to Tell Them Apart
Rock Ptarmigan
Seasonally dimorphic: brilliant snow-white in winter with black loral stripe in males; mottled grey-brown and buff in summer with intricate dark vermiculations; females lack black loral mark.
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
Rock Ptarmigan
A medium-sized grouse of the order Galliformes inhabiting arctic and alpine tundra across the Holarctic. Weighing ~609 g, it undergoes three annual moults, turning white in winter for camouflage. Feeds on buds, leaves, and berries. Least Concern.
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.