- Tetraogallus caspius
Identification
- Tetraogallus caspius
56-63 cm
- Black, white, grey, and brown plumage
- Grey breast
- White throat
- White neck patch
- Dark grey nape
Distribution
Middle East and Asia
Middle East: Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia
Asia: Russia, and Turkmenistan
Taxonomy
Subspecies[1]
There are 2 subspecies:
- T. c. caspius:
- T. c. semenowtianschanskii:
- Zagros Mountains (south-western Iran)
An additional subspecies tauricus is generally considered invalid[2].
Habitat
Stony ground, alpine scrub 1800-3000m.
Behaviour
Breeding
The nest is a bare ground scrape. The 6-9 green eggs are incubated by the female.
Diet
The diet includes seeds and vegetables.
References
- Clements, JF. 2010. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2010. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/Clements%206.5.xls/view
- Avibase
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Caspian Snowcock. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 13 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Caspian_Snowcock