Altai snowcock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Altai snowcock |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Tetraogallus
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| Species: |
altaicus
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| Synonyms | |
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Perdix altaica Gebler,1836 |
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The Altai snowcock (Tetraogallus altaicus) is a type of bird that lives in the mountains. It belongs to the Phasianidae family, which includes pheasants and partridges. You can find this bird in western Mongolia and nearby parts of China, Kazakhstan, and Russia. It usually lives in cold, northern forests.
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What is the Altai Snowcock?
The Altai snowcock was first studied and named by Frederic Gebler in 1836. He was a doctor and a scientist who loved nature. Gebler lived in the Altai region for 40 years. During that time, he discovered and named many animals and plants that people didn't know about before.
There are two slightly different types, or subspecies, of the Altai snowcock. They are called Tetraogallus altaicus altaicus and Tetraogallus altaicus orientalis.
What Does the Altai Snowcock Look Like?
The Altai snowcock is a plump bird, a bit like a large partridge. It is one of the biggest snowcock species. These birds can be about 57 to 61 centimeters (22 to 24 inches) long. Females usually weigh around 2.5 kilograms (5.6 pounds). Males are a bit heavier, weighing about 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds).
Their head and neck are a dark grey color. They have a dark band that looks like a collar around the bottom of their neck. The top part of their body is grey with white spots. Their tail is black. The chin, chest, and belly are white. They also have a grey band with black patches on their throat. Their main wing feathers are black. The base of these feathers is white, which you can see as a bright white flash when the bird flies. Their beak is yellowish-brown, and their legs and feet are reddish-brown.
Where Does the Altai Snowcock Live?
The Altai snowcock lives in the mountain ranges of western Mongolia and southwestern Siberia. In Russia, you can find them in the mountains near Abakan, the Sayan Mountains, and the Tannu-Ola Mountains. In Mongolia, they live in the Mongolian Altai Mountains, the Govi-Altai, the Khangai Mountains, and the mountains east of Lake Khuvsgul.
These birds prefer open mountain areas. They live above the tree line, which means where trees stop growing. They are usually found at high altitudes, often between 2,000 and 3,600 meters (6,500 to 11,800 feet) high.
What Does the Altai Snowcock Eat?
The Altai snowcock eats many different things. Their diet includes buds, young shoots, roots, and berries. They also eat insects. Sometimes, they even eat small rodents. Scientists have found that they eat about 40 different kinds of plants!
Is the Altai Snowcock in Danger?
Some people believe that the number of Altai snowcocks is going down. This might be because too many are hunted, or because their natural home is changing.
However, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has listed this bird as "Least Concern" on its Red List of Threatened Species. This means they are not currently in serious danger. The Altai snowcock lives across a very large area, estimated to be about 819,000 square kilometers (316,000 square miles). Also, there are more than 10,000 adult birds. Their numbers are not decreasing fast enough to put them in a more threatened group right now.
