Black Partridge vs Ahanta Spurfowl
Melanoperdix niger compared with Pternistis ahantensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black Partridge | Ahanta Spurfowl |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Melanoperdix niger | Pternistis ahantensis |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 26.8 cm (10.6 in) | 34.6 cm (13.6 in) |
| Weight | 280.5 g (9.89 oz) | 547.5 g (19.31 oz) |
| Diet | Eats seeds, invertebrates, and small fruits on floor of Bornean and Sumatran lowland rainforests. Scratches … | Feeds on seeds, invertebrates, and plant matter in West African lowland forest and thicket. |
| Clutch Size | 2-6 | 3-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Black Partridge
Infrequently recorded; gives a series of sharp, nasal 'krek' calls from peat swamp forest floor. Alarm is a low explosive cluck; poorly documented due to rarity and secretive habits.
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 Partridge
Resident in lowland and montane forest of the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo up to 1,500 m. Found in primary forest.
Ahanta Spurfowl
Resident of dense lowland and coastal forest in West Africa from Ghana to Cameroon; also found in Bioko Island.
Conservation Status
Black Partridge
Ahanta Spurfowl
How to Tell Them Apart
Black Partridge
Strongly dimorphic: male is entirely glossy jet black; female is rich rufous-chestnut with dark barring on wings and finely scaled underparts. Extreme sexual dimorphism with no overlap in colour.
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 Partridge
A small sexually dimorphic partridge (~280 g) of family Phasianidae, males entirely black and females rufous-brown. Endemic to lowland rainforests of the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. Highly secretive, foraging on the forest floor for seeds and invertebrates in dense undergrowth. Vulnerable; declining with rapid lowland deforestation and conversion to palm oil plantations.
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.