Hill Partridge
Arborophila torqueola
A brightly-colored game bird with an intricate head pattern and a body shaped like a football. Brick-red on the crown serves to distinguish the male from the similar Rufous-throated Partridge, while male Hill Partridge also lacks orange on the throat. Female lacks the male's white chest band and brick-red crown and has less orange on the throat than Rufous-throated. Moves around in convoys through dense vegetation in mid- to high-altitude forests.
Identification
Males of the species have ornate patterns and markings, a combination of an orange crown and face set against a black head and streaked throat. Females lack the distinctive head markings and the grey chest and upper belly of the male, with the flank colouration of white streaked ginger-brown feathers extending further up and across the belly of the hen. Four subspecies have been identified on the basis of differences on the head markings on the male. The length of this species is roughly 27–30 cm (11–12 in) and weight can vary between 230 g (8 oz) for a small female to 390 g (14 oz) for a large fat male.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Arborophila torqueola
- Authority
- (Valenciennes, 1825)
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Phasianidae
- Genus
- Arborophila
Range and habitat
The common hill-partridge range spans over a narrow band from the western Himalayas to north Vietnam. It is found in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.The species is not globally threatened and is common in most parts of its range.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Common hill-partridges are mostly seen in pairs or small coveys of up to 10 individuals that may be made up of family groups.<p>Indian populations of common hill-partridges breed between April and June, although earlier breeding has been recorded at lower altitudes. The average clutch size is 3-5 eggs but up to nine eggs have also been observed (in captivity, clutches of greater than 3 eggs are essentially unknown). Eggs are white, incubation times are unrecorded in wild birds but are reported to be 24 days for captive birds. The nest is a ball of whatever manageable materials are within a few feet of the nest site with a lined shallow scrape at the centre to form the cup of the nest. In captivity the structure is generally unstable unless supported, typically within low-growing vegetation or roots.<p>The food of the common hill-partridge comprises seeds and various invertebrates, which it collects by scratching in leaf litter. It has a hen-like contact call that is constantly uttered when it is feeding.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Yellow-breasted Warbling-Antbird
Hypocnemis subflava
Small short-tailed antbird of understory of dense humid forest. Yellow with black streaking, belly usually a duller yellowish tan. Distinguished from Peruvian Warbling-Antbird by its brighter yellow plumage. Typically found in dense viny habitats along rivers or forest clearings; where bamboo is present, largely restricted to this habitat. Often in pairs, but only rarely joins mixed species flocks. Song almost identical to Peruvian Warbling-Antbird, but some calls differ; in areas of overlap, they are typically found in different habitats: Yellow-breasted found in bamboo and dense secondary growth, Peruvian found in tree fall gaps and along streams in more mature rainforest.
Gray-backed Shrike
Lanius tephronotus
Found in forest edge, farmland, and plains, this adaptable and elegant small shrike is a common sight across much of its range. Gray crown and back contrast sharply with white throat, black mask and wings, and bright orange sides. Noticeably smaller than Long-tailed Shrike, with which it shares its range; unlike that species, lacks orange on the back. Regularly perches on exposed perches such as telephone lines, posts, and snags. Song musical and variable, a series of buzzy, whistled, and warbled notes; incorporates mimicry of other species. Calls include repeated harsh chattering notes, as well as high barking and piping notes.
Rinjani Scops-Owl
Otus jolandae
A small brown owl with feathered ear tufts and yellow eyes, restricted to Lombok. Mostly brown with scattered white and pale markings on wings, sparsely streaked underparts, and a clear “double” facial disk with both blackish and white borders. Found in various forests and plantations in the lowlands and foothills. Distinctive: the only small owl on Lombok, and the only owl there with ear tufts. Gives a single note song, “woot,” ascending slightly at the end.
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