Altai Snowcock
Tetraogallus altaicus
The Altai Snowcock (Tetraogallus altaicus) is a legendary partridges, pheasants, grouse, and alli found in 3 countries, weighing about 2.8 kg. The Altai snowcock is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae.
About the Altai Snowcock
The Altai snowcock is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. It is found in western Mongolia and adjacent areas of China, Kazakhstan and Russia. Its natural habitat is boreal forests.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The Altai snowcock is a plump, partridge-like bird. While most snowcocks are similar in size, the Altai might be the largest species with a length of around 57 to 61 cm (22 to 24 in) and a mean body mass of approximately 2.54 kg (5.6 lb) in females and 3 kg (6.6 lb) in males. The head and neck are slatey-grey and there is a partial dark collar at the base of the neck. The upperparts are grey with white spots and the tail is black. The chin, breast and belly are white. The throat has a breastband of grey with patches of black.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Mongolia.
When to see it
Best months: May, June, July, September, November, with peak activity in June. It is a summer visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an Altai Snowcock?
- The Altai snowcock is a plump, partridge-like bird. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an Altai Snowcock?
- The Altai Snowcock is a huge sized bird weighing about 2.8 kg.
- Where can you see an Altai Snowcock?
- The Altai Snowcock occurs in 3 countries, including Russia and China.
- What birds look similar to an Altai Snowcock?
- The Altai Snowcock is most easily confused with the Caspian Snowcock, the Caucasian Snowcock and the Tibetan Snowcock.
- Is the Altai Snowcock endangered?
- The Altai Snowcock is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Altai Snowcock for real
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