Silver Pheasant vs Altai Snowcock
Lophura nycthemera compared with Tetraogallus altaicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Silver Pheasant | Altai Snowcock |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Lophura nycthemera | Tetraogallus altaicus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 51.0 cm (20.1 in) | 56.9 cm (22.4 in) |
| Weight | 1345.0 g (47.44 oz) | 2770.0 g (97.71 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on seeds, berries, roots, invertebrates, and small animals; scratches forest floor in SE Asian … | Feeds on alpine grasses, seeds, berries, and shoots; digs for roots and bulbs in Altai … |
| Clutch Size | 6-12 | 4-15 |
| 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.
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
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.
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
Silver Pheasant
Altai Snowcock
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.
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
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.
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.