Altai Snowcock vs Sabah Partridge
Tetraogallus altaicus compared with Tropicoperdix graydoni
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Altai Snowcock | Sabah Partridge |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Tetraogallus altaicus | Tropicoperdix graydoni |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Near Threatened |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 56.9 cm (22.4 in) | — |
| Weight | 2770.0 g (97.71 oz) | — |
| Diet | Feeds on alpine grasses, seeds, berries, and shoots; digs for roots and bulbs in Altai … | Feeds on seeds, fruits, and invertebrates in Sabah forest; poorly known diet inferred from related … |
| Clutch Size | 4-15 | -- |
| 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.
Sabah Partridge
Whistled 'wheee-oo' call from Sabah lowland forest; similar to Chestnut-necklaced Partridge but considered distinct. Very poorly known vocally. Alarm presumably sharp 'kek'; contact clucking low.
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.
Sabah Partridge
Endemic to Sabah, Borneo (Malaysia); resident of submontane and montane forest above 900 m.
Conservation Status
Altai Snowcock
Sabah Partridge
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 …
Sabah Partridge
Brown upperparts with dusky vermiculations; white supercilium; buffy-orange underparts; chestnut patch on breast less pronounced than in Chestnut-necklaced Partridge; greenish-grey legs; restricted to Borneo.
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.
Sabah Partridge
A little-studied Phasianidae partridge endemic to forests of Sabah and adjacent northeastern Borneo. Formerly lumped with the Chestnut-necklaced Partridge; recently elevated to full species status. Biology poorly known; presumed to forage on seeds and invertebrates in lowland forest. Near Threatened.