White-tailed Ptarmigan vs Altai Snowcock
Lagopus leucura в сравнении с Tetraogallus altaicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Характеристика | White-tailed Ptarmigan | Altai Snowcock |
|---|---|---|
| Научное название | Lagopus leucura | Tetraogallus altaicus |
| Отряд | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Семейство | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Охранный статус | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Длина | — | — |
| Размах крыльев | 34,6 cm (13.6 in) | 56,9 cm (22.4 in) |
| Масса | 361,8 g (12.76 oz) | 2770,0 g (97.71 oz) |
| Питание | Eats alpine willow and heather buds and leaves; switches to berries and insects in summer. … | Feeds on alpine grasses, seeds, berries, and shoots; digs for roots and bulbs in Altai … |
| Размер кладки | 2-9 | 4-15 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
White-tailed Ptarmigan
Soft, chicken-like clucking 'ko-ko-ko'; quiet relative to other ptarmigan. Alarm is a sharp 'kek' series. Males give low, croaking calls on alpine tundra at dawn. Flock contact is muted burbling.
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
White-tailed Ptarmigan
Breeds in alpine tundra from Alaska south through the Rockies to New Mexico. Largely resident, descending to lower elevations in winter.
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.
Охранный статус
White-tailed Ptarmigan
Altai Snowcock
How to Tell Them Apart
White-tailed Ptarmigan
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
White-tailed Ptarmigan
The smallest ptarmigan (~360 g) of family Phasianidae; the only ptarmigan with a white tail year-round. Inhabits alpine tundra and rocky slopes above treeline in the Rocky Mountains from Alaska to New Mexico. Plumage turns all-white in winter for camouflage. Feeds on willows, sedges, and berries. Least Concern; well adapted to extreme mountain environments but vulnerable to climate warming.
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.