Ahanta Spurfowl vs Lesser Prairie-chicken
Pternistis ahantensis compared with Tympanuchus pallidicinctus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Ahanta Spurfowl | Lesser Prairie-chicken |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Pternistis ahantensis | Tympanuchus pallidicinctus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 34.6 cm (13.6 in) | 41.0 cm (16.1 in) |
| Weight | 547.5 g (19.31 oz) | 724.25 g (25.55 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on seeds, invertebrates, and plant matter in West African lowland forest and thicket. | Feeds on seeds, berries, grasshoppers, and plant material in shortgrass prairie and shinnery oak of … |
| Clutch Size | 3-12 | 6-14 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Ahanta Spurfowl only
Lesser Prairie-chicken only
Song & Call Comparison
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.
Lesser Prairie-chicken
Males boom and gobble on lek: higher-pitched, faster sequence than Greater Prairie-chicken; reddish air sacs vibrate. Display includes cackles and wing-dragging. Alarm is a sharp repeated 'kek'.
Geographic Range & Migration
Ahanta Spurfowl
Resident of dense lowland and coastal forest in West Africa from Ghana to Cameroon; also found in Bioko Island.
Lesser Prairie-chicken
Resident in shinnery oak and sand sagebrush habitat of the southern Great Plains in New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado. Vulnerable.
Conservation Status
Ahanta Spurfowl
Lesser Prairie-chicken
How to Tell Them Apart
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.
Lesser Prairie-chicken
Barred buff and brown like Greater Prairie-chicken but paler; males have dark pinnae feathers and reddish-pink neck sacs; yellow eye-comb; female lacks pinnae. Paler overall than its larger relative.
About These Birds
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.
Lesser Prairie-chicken
A medium-sized grouse (~725 g) of family Phasianidae, paler than Greater Prairie-chicken with crimson-orange air sacs in males. Inhabits arid mixed-grass and shinnery oak prairies in the southern Great Plains of the United States. Feeds on plant matter and invertebrates. Vulnerable; severe population declines due to oil and gas development, overgrazing, drought, and loss of native shrub prairie.