Black-billed Capercaillie vs Altai Snowcock

Tetrao urogalloides verglichen mit Tetraogallus altaicus

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Merkmal Black-billed Capercaillie Altai Snowcock
Wissenschaftlicher Name Tetrao urogalloides Tetraogallus altaicus
Ordnung Galliformes Galliformes
Familie Phasianidae Phasianidae
Erhaltungsstatus Least Concern Least Concern
Länge
Flügelspannweite 68,2 cm (26.9 in) 56,9 cm (22.4 in)
Gewicht 2957,5 g (104.32 oz) 2770,0 g (97.71 oz)
Ernährung 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 …
Gelegegröße 5-10 4-15
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Gemeinsame Lebensräume

Black-billed Capercaillie only

Altai Snowcock only

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Song & Call Comparison

Black-billed Capercaillie

Gesang

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

Gesang

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.

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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.

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Erhaltungsstatus

Least Concern

Black-billed Capercaillie

Least Concern

Altai Snowcock

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How to Tell Them Apart

Black-billed Capercaillie

Gefieder

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

Gefieder

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 …

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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.

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