Rock Ptarmigan vs Altai Snowcock
Lagopus muta compared with Tetraogallus altaicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Rock Ptarmigan | Altai Snowcock |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Lagopus muta | Tetraogallus altaicus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 37.7 cm (14.8 in) | 56.9 cm (22.4 in) |
| Weight | 608.5 g (21.46 oz) | 2770.0 g (97.71 oz) |
| Diet | Eats alpine plants, buds, berries, seeds, and lichen; shifts to willow/birch buds in winter when … | Feeds on alpine grasses, seeds, berries, and shoots; digs for roots and bulbs in Altai … |
| Clutch Size | 3-11 | 4-15 |
| 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.
Altai Snowcock
Loud, ringing whistled 'whi-WHEEE' echoing across Altai alpine slopes; deeper than Tibetan Snowcock due to larger size. Alarm is rapid barking. Calls at dawn from rocky ridgelines.
Geographic Range & Migration
Rock Ptarmigan
Circumpolar resident of Arctic and alpine tundra across North America, Europe, and Asia. Resident or short-distance altitudinal migrant.
Altai Snowcock
Resident of alpine rocky slopes and grassy hillsides in the Altai and Sayan mountains of Russia, Kazakhstan, and western Mongolia, at 2,000–4,000 m.
Conservation Status
Rock Ptarmigan
Altai Snowcock
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.
Altai Snowcock
Largest snowcock; grey-brown upperparts with buff streaks; white underparts with grey breast; rufous necklace streaks on lower neck; white outer tail in flight; whitish face with dark ear patch. Sexes …
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.
Altai Snowcock
The largest snowcock (~2.77 kg), family Phasianidae, of alpine scree and subalpine meadows in the Altai and Tian Shan ranges of Central Asia. Heavily built, grey and white with rusty-brown markings. Feeds on roots, bulbs, and alpine plants. Forms small flocks outside breeding season. Least Concern.