White-cheeked Partridge
Arborophila atrogularis
Appropriately-named; a gray-brown partridge with a bright white cheek patch. Like most other Arbrophila partridges, shy and seldom seen out in the open, usually moving about furtively under thick cover; sometimes crosses trails and openings, especially at dawn and dusk. Usually found in foothill habitats, including pristine primary forest, second growth, and even tea plantations. Song, usually heard late or early in the day, is a series of paired whistles.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Arborophila atrogularis
- Authority
- (Blyth, 1849)
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Phasianidae
- Genus
- Arborophila
Range and habitat
It is found mainly in Northeast India, northern Myanmar, and northeast Bangladesh, inhabiting dense undergrowth in primary and secondary evergreen forest; this sometimes includes adjacent areas of scrub, bamboo, grassland and cultivated land. In India, the species occurs generally at altitudes below 750 m, but may be found at up to 1,220 m in South-East Asia.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
The white-cheeked partridge is currently classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. Population numbers are unknown, but it appears to be scarce now in areas where it was previously reported as common, and is apparently under pressure from habitat loss and hunting.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Puna Yellow-Finch
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Rather local but sometimes numerous in the high Andes. Favors puna grasslands, stony plains with shrubby bushes, villages, and bogs. Often in flocks, sometimes mixed with other species, and feeds mainly on the ground. Both sexes rather uniform bright greenish yellow overall (female averages duller) with a relatively stout, grayish bill. Greenish Yellow-Finch of usually lower elevations is duller (especially the female), with a smaller and more pointed bill. Bright-rumped Yellow-Finch sometimes occurs with Puna, but has grayish cheeks, back, and flanks.
Lemon Dove
Aplopelia larvata
Dark, medium-sized dove with a pale face. Shows paler gray corners of the tail in flight. Varies geographically; most eastern and southern African birds have rufous underparts, while western and central African birds are gray below. Shy understory species that is most often seen on the ground inside thick forest. Often not noticed until it noisily flies away. Call is a deep hoot, usually delivered in a slow series, though sometimes in a quick series. Similar to Delegorgue’s and Bronze-naped pigeons but inhabits the understory and has a pale face.
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