Green Pheasant vs Ahanta Spurfowl
Phasianus versicolor compared with Pternistis ahantensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Green Pheasant | Ahanta Spurfowl |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phasianus versicolor | Pternistis ahantensis |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 44.1 cm (17.4 in) | 34.6 cm (13.6 in) |
| Weight | 990.5 g (34.94 oz) | 547.5 g (19.31 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on seeds, grain, berries, roots, and invertebrates; forages in farmland, grassland, and woodland edges. | 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
Green Pheasant
Crow-like 'ko-KOH' with deeper, more resonant quality than Common Pheasant; Japanese endemic calling from forest edge at dawn. Alarm is explosive cackle and wing-beating. Contact calls low clucks.
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
Green Pheasant
Endemic to Japan; resident of farmland, scrub, and open woodland on Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu; national bird of Japan.
Ahanta Spurfowl
Resident of dense lowland and coastal forest in West Africa from Ghana to Cameroon; also found in Bioko Island.
Conservation Status
Green Pheasant
Ahanta Spurfowl
How to Tell Them Apart
Green Pheasant
Male with deep iridescent bottle-green body and purple-green gloss on breast and flanks; dark green tail barred black; iridescent green head with red wattle; no white neck ring. Female mottled …
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
Green Pheasant
The national bird of Japan, this Phasianidae pheasant (~991 g) inhabits open woodland, farmland, and scrub across the Japanese archipelago. Males are richly iridescent green with purple-tinged breast. Feeds on seeds, fruits, invertebrates, and small vertebrates. Least Concern as a managed gamebird.
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.