Black Grouse vs Ahanta Spurfowl
Lyrurus tetrix compared with Pternistis ahantensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black Grouse | Ahanta Spurfowl |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Lyrurus tetrix | Pternistis ahantensis |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 48.1 cm (18.9 in) | 34.6 cm (13.6 in) |
| Weight | 1262.5 g (44.53 oz) | 547.5 g (19.31 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on buds, catkins, and shoots of birch and other trees; berries and invertebrates are … | Feeds on seeds, invertebrates, and plant matter in West African lowland forest and thicket. |
| Clutch Size | 6-11 | 3-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Black Grouse only
Ahanta Spurfowl only
Song & Call Comparison
Black Grouse
Males on lek produce liquid bubbling 'roo-oo-oo' cooing and explosive 'choo-ESH' sneeze calls; haunting at misty dawn. Alarm is harsh cacking. Display carries across moorland and bogs.
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
Black Grouse
Resident of moorland, bogs, and forest edge across northern and central Eurasia, from Britain east to Siberia and Kazakhstan.
Ahanta Spurfowl
Resident of dense lowland and coastal forest in West Africa from Ghana to Cameroon; also found in Bioko Island.
Conservation Status
Black Grouse
Ahanta Spurfowl
How to Tell Them Apart
Black Grouse
Male blue-black with iridescent purple-blue gloss; bold white wing bar; white undertail coverts contrast with black lyre-shaped tail; red wattles above eye. Female mottled tawny-brown with faint barring.
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
Black Grouse
A medium-large Phasianidae grouse (~1.26 kg) of Eurasian moorlands and forest edges. Males are glossy blue-black with lyre-shaped tails used in communal lek displays on frost-covered arenas. Females are cryptically brown. Omnivorous; diet includes berries, buds, and invertebrates. 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.