Silver Pheasant vs Ahanta Spurfowl
Lophura nycthemera compared with Pternistis ahantensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Silver Pheasant | Ahanta Spurfowl |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Lophura nycthemera | Pternistis ahantensis |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 51.0 cm (20.1 in) | 34.6 cm (13.6 in) |
| Weight | 1345.0 g (47.44 oz) | 547.5 g (19.31 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on seeds, berries, roots, invertebrates, and small animals; scratches forest floor in SE Asian … | Feeds on seeds, invertebrates, and plant matter in West African lowland forest and thicket. |
| Clutch Size | 6-12 | 3-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Silver Pheasant
Loud 'kork-KORK' crowing calls from SE Asian mountain forest; sharper and crisper than Common Pheasant. Alarm is explosive cackle. Wing-drumming audible at dawn. Contact clucks soft and guttural.
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
Silver Pheasant
Resident of forest and secondary growth in southern China, mainland Southeast Asia from Myanmar to Vietnam, and Hainan; at sea level to 2,000 m.
Ahanta Spurfowl
Resident of dense lowland and coastal forest in West Africa from Ghana to Cameroon; also found in Bioko Island.
Conservation Status
Silver Pheasant
Ahanta Spurfowl
How to Tell Them Apart
Silver Pheasant
Male striking white above with dense black vermiculations; glossy blue-black below; long white tail; black crest; red facial wattle. Female uniformly dark brown above; buff below with dark streaking.
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
Silver Pheasant
A large, elegant Phasianidae pheasant (~1.35 kg) of mainland Southeast Asia and southern China. Males are strikingly patterned with a white-laced upper body, glossy black underparts, red facial skin, and a long white tail. Inhabits montane and foothill forests. Omnivorous diet; popular in aviculture. Least Concern.
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.