Bulwer's Pheasant vs Ahanta Spurfowl
Lophura bulweri compared with Pternistis ahantensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Bulwer's Pheasant | Ahanta Spurfowl |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Lophura bulweri | Pternistis ahantensis |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 49.4 cm (19.4 in) | 34.6 cm (13.6 in) |
| Weight | 1297.5 g (45.77 oz) | 547.5 g (19.31 oz) |
| Diet | Ground forager feeding on seeds, fallen fruit, invertebrates, and small animals in Bornean lowland rainforest. | Feeds on seeds, invertebrates, and plant matter in West African lowland forest and thicket. |
| Clutch Size | 1-5 | 3-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Bulwer's Pheasant
Loud, crow-like 'krak-krak' calls; Bornean endemic. Alarm is an explosive cackling rattle. Males display with erect white tail fans while calling. Contact between birds is guttural clucking.
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
Bulwer's Pheasant
Endemic to montane and lowland forest in Sarawak and Sabah, Borneo; found from lowlands to 1,200 m.
Ahanta Spurfowl
Resident of dense lowland and coastal forest in West Africa from Ghana to Cameroon; also found in Bioko Island.
Conservation Status
Bulwer's Pheasant
Ahanta Spurfowl
How to Tell Them Apart
Bulwer's Pheasant
Male entirely glossy blue-black; long pure white tail fans upward in display; legs red; striking cobalt-blue and red facial wattles greatly enlarged. Female warm reddish-brown with whitish shaft streaks.
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
Bulwer's Pheasant
A large, bizarre Phasianidae pheasant (~1.3 kg) of lowland and hill forests in Borneo. Males display fleshy white facial wattles that can expand dramatically during courtship. Plumage is dark glossy blue. Diet includes seeds, fruits, and invertebrates. Vulnerable from rapid deforestation of Bornean lowlands.
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.