Snowcock

Snowcocks are bulky, long-necked, long-bodied partridge-like birds. Males and females are generally similar in appearance but females tend to be slightly smaller and rather duller in colouration than males. They are generally grey with varying amounts of white, black and brown according to species and with distinctive white under tail-coverts. Their plumage is thick with a downy base to the feathers which helps them to withstand severe winter temperatures that may fall to {{convert|-40|°C}}. The colour of juvenile snowcocks is similar to the colour of the females and the young are not fully grown until their second year of life.{{cite book |title=Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse: A Guide to the Pheasants, Partridges, Quails, Grouse, Guineafowl, Buttonquails and Sandgrouse of the World |last1=Madge |first1=Steve |last2=McGowan |first2=J. K. |last3=Kirwan |first3=Guy M. |year=2002 |publisher=A. C. Black |isbn=9780713639667 |pages=174–180 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_YLw38EoErYC&q=Tetraogallus+altaicus&pg=PP2 }}

Snowcocks are heavy birds and are unable to fly far with flapping flight. Instead they run to a high point, launch themselves into the air and glide, gradually losing altitude. They are to be found on open slopes above the tree line where they feed on leaves, shoots, roots, fruits, berries and insects.

The snowcocks are each endemic to different mountain ranges in Asia where they are normally found on open slopes above the tree line. Only in the case of the Himalayan snowcock and the Tibetan snowcock do their ranges overlap.

The Caucasian snowcock occurs in the Caucasus Mountains in Azerbaijan, Georgia and the Russian Federation. It has been introduced into the United States.{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2017 |title=Tetraogallus caucasicus |volume=2017 |page=e.T22678661A111767442 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T22678661A111767442.en |access-date=12 November 2021}} The Caspian snowcock is native to eastern Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq and Georgia and has been introduced into the United States.{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2016 |title=Tetraogallus caspius |volume=2016 |page=e.T22678664A85854649 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22678664A85854649.en |access-date=12 November 2021}} The Tibetan snowcock is native to mountain ranges in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Tajikistan and China.{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2016 |title=Tetraogallus tibetanus |volume=2016 |page=e.T22678667A92783560 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22678667A92783560.en |access-date=12 November 2021}} The Himalayan snowcock occurs in mountainous areas of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Nepal, India and China and has been introduced into the United States.{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2018 |title=Tetraogallus himalayensis |volume=2018 |page=e.T22678673A132049858 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22678673A132049858.en |access-date=12 November 2021}} The Altai snowcock is endemic to high altitudes in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China and the Russian Federation.{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2016 |title=Tetraogallus altaicus |volume=2016 |page=e.T22678670A92783743 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22678670A92783743.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}

The five species within the genus along with subspecies are:{{cite book|title=Check-list of birds of the world|volume=2|author=Peters, JL|year=1934| publisher=Harvard University Press|place=Cambridge, Massachusetts|url=https://archive.org/stream/checklistofbirds21934pete#page/59/mode/1up|pages=60–63}}

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Category:Taxa named by John Edward Gray