Black-billed Capercaillie vs Altai Snowcock
Tetrao urogalloides compared with Tetraogallus altaicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black-billed Capercaillie | Altai Snowcock |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Tetrao urogalloides | Tetraogallus altaicus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 68.2 cm (26.9 in) | 56.9 cm (22.4 in) |
| Weight | 2957.5 g (104.32 oz) | 2770.0 g (97.71 oz) |
| Diet | Subsists mainly on larch needles in winter; takes berries, buds, and insects during the warmer … | Feeds on alpine grasses, seeds, berries, and shoots; digs for roots and bulbs in Altai … |
| Clutch Size | 5-10 | 4-15 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Black-billed Capercaillie
Similar to Western Capercaillie but generally higher-pitched; ticking phase faster, grinding phase shorter. Siberian larch forest species. Alarm is a loud bark; females give soft clucking brood calls.
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-billed Capercaillie
Resident of coniferous taiga in eastern Russia from the Lena River to the Pacific coast, Kamchatka, and northeastern China.
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-billed Capercaillie
Altai Snowcock
How to Tell Them Apart
Black-billed Capercaillie
Male uniformly glossy blue-black with slight greenish sheen on breast; smaller white wing spots than Western Capercaillie; black bill. Female barred rufous-buff and dark brown, paler below than congener.
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-billed Capercaillie
A very large Phasianidae grouse (~2.96 kg) of Siberian larch and pine forests east of the Yenisei River. Closely related to the Western Capercaillie but distinguished by an all-black bill. Lekking males fan tail feathers dramatically. Feeds on needles and buds; 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.