Altai Snowcock vs Lesser Prairie-chicken
Tetraogallus altaicus compared with Tympanuchus pallidicinctus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Altai Snowcock | Lesser Prairie-chicken |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Tetraogallus altaicus | Tympanuchus pallidicinctus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 56.9 cm (22.4 in) | 41.0 cm (16.1 in) |
| Weight | 2770.0 g (97.71 oz) | 724.25 g (25.55 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds on alpine grasses, seeds, berries, and shoots; digs for roots and bulbs in Altai … | Feeds on seeds, berries, grasshoppers, and plant material in shortgrass prairie and shinnery oak of … |
| Clutch Size | 4-15 | 6-14 |
| 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.
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
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.
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
Altai Snowcock
Lesser Prairie-chicken
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 …
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
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.
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.