Altai Snowcock vs Hazel Grouse
Tetraogallus altaicus compared with Tetrastes bonasia
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Altai Snowcock | Hazel Grouse |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Tetraogallus altaicus | Tetrastes bonasia |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 56.9 cm (22.4 in) | — |
| Weight | 2770.0 g (97.71 oz) | 384.0 g (13.55 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on alpine grasses, seeds, berries, and shoots; digs for roots and bulbs in Altai … | Eats buds, catkins, berries, and seeds of deciduous shrubs and trees year-round. Winter diet dominated … |
| Clutch Size | 4-15 | 5-14 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
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.
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
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.
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
Altai Snowcock
Hazel Grouse
How to Tell Them Apart
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 …
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
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.
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.