Caspian Snowcock
Encyclopedia
The Caspian Snowcock, Tetraogallus caspius, is a snowcock
in the pheasant family Phasianidae
of the order Galliformes
, gallinaceous birds.
It is found in the mountains of eastern Turkey
and Armenia
, and throughout the Alborz Mountains of Northern Iran. It breeds at altitudes from 1800-3000 m on bare stony ground with some alpine scrub. It nests in a bare ground scrape and lays 6-9 greenish egg
s, which are incubated only by the female. Its diet consists of seed
s and vegetable matter. It forms small flocks when not breeding.
This snowcock ranges from 56 to 63 cm (22 to 24.8 in) in length, 95 to 105 cm (37.4 to 41.3 in) in wingspan and 1.8 to 2.9 kg (4 to 6.4 lb) in weight. Its plumage
is patterned with grey, brown, white and black, but this snowcock looks pale gray from any distance. The breast is pale gray, the throat and a white patch on the side of the neck are white, and the nape is dark gray.
In flight, this wary bird shows white flight feathers and undertail. Male and female plumages are similar, but juveniles are slightly smaller and duller in appearance. There are three races differing in plumage saturation, becoming paler from west to east.
The Caspian Snowcock has a desolate whistling song, vaguely like a Eurasian Curlew
, sooo-looo-leeee. It differs from Caucasian Snowcock
in that it does not have the drop in pitch at the end of the song shown by that species. The calls include loud cackles and bubbled buck-buck-buck-buck-burrrrrr.
Snowcock
The snowcocks are a group of bird species in the genus Tetraogallus of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. They are ground-nesting birds which breed in the mountain ranges of southern Eurasia from the Caucasus to the Himalayas and western China. The Himalayan Snowcock has been introduced...
in the pheasant family Phasianidae
Phasianidae
The Phasianidae is a family of birds which consists of the pheasants and partridges, including the junglefowl , Old World Quail, francolins, monals and peafowl. The family is a large one, and is occasionally broken up into two subfamilies, the Phasianinae, and the Perdicinae...
of the order Galliformes
Galliformes
Galliformes are an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding domestic or game bird, containing turkey, grouse, chicken, New and Old World Quail, ptarmigan, partridge, pheasant, and the Cracidae. Common names are gamefowl or gamebirds, landfowl, gallinaceous birds or galliforms...
, gallinaceous birds.
It is found in the mountains of eastern Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, and throughout the Alborz Mountains of Northern Iran. It breeds at altitudes from 1800-3000 m on bare stony ground with some alpine scrub. It nests in a bare ground scrape and lays 6-9 greenish egg
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
s, which are incubated only by the female. Its diet consists of seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s and vegetable matter. It forms small flocks when not breeding.
This snowcock ranges from 56 to 63 cm (22 to 24.8 in) in length, 95 to 105 cm (37.4 to 41.3 in) in wingspan and 1.8 to 2.9 kg (4 to 6.4 lb) in weight. Its plumage
Feather
Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds and some non-avian theropod dinosaurs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates, and indeed a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They...
is patterned with grey, brown, white and black, but this snowcock looks pale gray from any distance. The breast is pale gray, the throat and a white patch on the side of the neck are white, and the nape is dark gray.
In flight, this wary bird shows white flight feathers and undertail. Male and female plumages are similar, but juveniles are slightly smaller and duller in appearance. There are three races differing in plumage saturation, becoming paler from west to east.
The Caspian Snowcock has a desolate whistling song, vaguely like a Eurasian Curlew
Eurasian Curlew
The Eurasian Curlew, Numenius arquata, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across temperate Europe and Asia...
, sooo-looo-leeee. It differs from Caucasian Snowcock
Caucasian Snowcock
The Caucasian Snowcock, Tetraogallus caucasicus , is a snowcock in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds....
in that it does not have the drop in pitch at the end of the song shown by that species. The calls include loud cackles and bubbled buck-buck-buck-buck-burrrrrr.