Black Grouse vs Altai Snowcock
Lyrurus tetrix compared with Tetraogallus altaicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black Grouse | Altai Snowcock |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Lyrurus tetrix | Tetraogallus altaicus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 48.1 cm (18.9 in) | 56.9 cm (22.4 in) |
| Weight | 1262.5 g (44.53 oz) | 2770.0 g (97.71 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on buds, catkins, and shoots of birch and other trees; berries and invertebrates are … | Feeds on alpine grasses, seeds, berries, and shoots; digs for roots and bulbs in Altai … |
| Clutch Size | 6-11 | 4-15 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
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.
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
Black Grouse
Resident of moorland, bogs, and forest edge across northern and central Eurasia, from Britain east to Siberia and Kazakhstan.
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
Black Grouse
Altai Snowcock
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.
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
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.
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.