Crested Partridge vs Hazel Grouse
Rollulus rouloul compared with Tetrastes bonasia
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Crested Partridge | Hazel Grouse |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Rollulus rouloul | Tetrastes bonasia |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 27.2 cm (10.7 in) | — |
| Weight | 250.5 g (8.84 oz) | 384.0 g (13.55 oz) |
| Diet | Forages on floor of Southeast Asian lowland rainforests for seeds, fallen fruits, and invertebrates. Scratches … | Eats buds, catkins, berries, and seeds of deciduous shrubs and trees year-round. Winter diet dominated … |
| Clutch Size | 4-6 | 5-14 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Crested Partridge
High-pitched, thin whistled 'seee' repeated persistently; metallic and insect-like. Males call from forest floor, rarely seen. Alarm is an explosive low grunt followed by rapid wing beats.
Hazel Grouse
Very high-pitched, thin whistled 'tseeee-tsi-tsi-tsi-tseeee'; almost insect-like and easy to miss. Male and female calls differ slightly in pitch. Alarm is a sharp 'tsip'; wing drumming display rare.
Geographic Range & Migration
Crested Partridge
Resident in lowland and foothill rainforest of Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo. Found below 1,500 m.
Hazel Grouse
Resident across boreal forests of Europe, Russia, and Siberia east to Sakhalin and northern China. Found in mixed conifer-deciduous forest.
Conservation Status
Crested Partridge
Hazel Grouse
How to Tell Them Apart
Crested Partridge
Male is dark glossy green-black with vivid red-crimson erectile crest; red orbital skin; chestnut wings. Female is entirely bright emerald green with brown wings, red legs, and grey head; among …
Hazel Grouse
Finely mottled grey-brown above; male has black throat bordered white; underparts white with chestnut-brown barring; tail grey with black subterminal band; small red eye-comb; female lacks black throat.
About These Birds
Crested Partridge
A small partridge (~250 g) of family Phasianidae, males with vivid crimson crest and iridescent green plumage. Found in lowland tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia including Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo. Forages on the forest floor for fallen seeds, fruits, and invertebrates. Vulnerable; dependent on primary lowland forest, heavily impacted by deforestation and palm oil expansion.
Hazel Grouse
A small grouse (~385 g) of family Phasianidae, cryptically patterned in brown and grey with a small crest. Inhabits dense temperate and boreal mixed forests across Eurasia from western Europe to Japan. Feeds on buds, catkins, seeds, and berries. Least Concern; resident of mature forest; sensitive to fragmentation and clear-cutting, using dense conifer understorey for cover.