Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta)
Male unmistakable. A stunningly colourful bird with a dark, metallic green head with bright red bare sides. Female dark buff with dark spots. Can be mistaken for female Golden Pheasant, or Lady Amherst's Pheasant, but these have barred breast. Both sexes with straight, very long, tapering tails.
Sound:Diverse repertoire of harsh cackling sounds. Male call can be heard for more than a kilometer away; a very harsh, staccato and explosive "kaa" or "ka-kaa", with last syllable falling in pitch.
Song:
Distribution:
Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)
Ecology:Birdlife ecology
Links:
Observation.org Latest observations
Image search Flickr NB! May give other species
CCSlightly smaller and less heavy than Willow Ptarmigan. Overall greyer plumage, and a more delicate bill. Male summer with grey upperparts and white underparts. Female summer with browner upperparts than male. Both sexes completely white in winter plumage, except for black lores in males. Wings white and tail feathers black in all plumages in both sexes.
Sound:Call of male a very distinct "rrrrrrr", being a rattling rapid pulse of clicks, like running a stick along a picket fence. Female has similar sounds, but is higher pitched and not so coarse as male.
Flushed:
Distribution:
Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)
Ecology:Birdlife ecology
Links:
Observation.org Latest observations
Image search Flickr NB! May give other species
CC