Himalayan Snowcock facts for kids
The Himalayan snowcock is a large bird that looks a bit like a partridge. It belongs to the pheasant family. You can find these birds in the high Himalayas and parts of the Pamir Mountains in Asia.
Himalayan snowcocks live in alpine areas and on steep, rocky cliffs. When they need to escape danger, they often dive quickly down the hillsides. These birds can be found in the same areas as the slightly smaller Tibetan snowcock.
Different groups of Himalayan snowcocks have slightly different colors. Scientists have named about five different types, called subspecies. In the 1960s, some of these birds were brought to the Ruby Mountains in Nevada, United States. Now, a wild group of them lives there.
What Does It Look Like?
The Himalayan snowcock is a big, grey bird. It can be about 55 to 74 centimeters (22 to 29 inches) long. It usually weighs between 2 and 3.1 kilograms (4.4 to 6.8 pounds).
Its head looks a bit like the smaller chukar partridge. It has a white throat and white on the sides of its head. These white areas are outlined by a reddish-brown stripe that looks like a mustache. A wide, dark reddish-brown band goes from its eye, over its ear, and around its neck like a collar.
The top part of its body is grey. The feathers on its lower back and wings have reddish-brown edges. Its upper chest is grey with dark, curved stripes. The lower chest is dark grey, and the sides of its body have streaks of black, reddish-brown, and white. The feathers under its tail are white. Its legs and the skin around its eyes are yellow.
Male and female snowcocks look very similar. However, the female is smaller. Also, the male has a large spur on its leg, which the female does not have.
How to Spot Them in Flight
When a Himalayan snowcock flies, you can see its white main wing feathers with black tips. Its outer tail feathers are reddish-brown. These features help you tell it apart from other birds. The Tibetan snowcock, for example, has a white edge on the back of its wings that stands out against its grey wings.
Images for kids
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Egg from the Museum Wiesbaden Collection
See also
In Spanish: Perdigallo himalayo para niños
