The snowcocks or snowfowl are a group of bird species in the genus Tetraogallus of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. They are ground-nesting birds that breed in the mountain ranges of southern Eurasia from the Caucasus to the Himalayas and western China. Some of the species have been introduced into the United States. Snowcocks feed mainly on plant material.
Snowcock
Image: Tibetan Snowcock (Tetraogallus tibetanus) (48445413157)
Image: Tetraogallus Altaicus
Image: Caucasian Snowcock i Naturalist
The Tibetan snowcock is a bird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. This species is found in high-altitude regions of the Western Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau, where it overlaps in part with the larger Himalayan snowcock. The head is greyish and there is a white crescent patch behind the eye and underside is white with black stripes. In flight the secondaries show a broad white trailing edge.
Tibetan snowcock
Tibetan Snowcock in Zingral Transit Check Post,Leh,Ladakh
Tibetan Snowcock at Luza, Sagarmatha National Park,Nepal
Illustration from Hume and Marshall, Gamebirds of India, Burma and Ceylon