Red-breasted Partridge
Arborophila hyperythra
Brightly-marked forest gamebird of Borneo’s central mountains. Combination of bright black-and-white side scaling and warm orange head and breast are unique. Like other Arborophila partridges, forages in dense undergrowth in forested areas, and is more readily heard than seen; the ringing repetitive song is a series of short whistles, often given as a duet.
Identification
The red-breasted partridge is about 27 cm (11 in) long and weighs about 270 g (9.5 oz). The crown and nape are blackish, with brown spots. There is a grey or rufous supercilium, and a blackish-brown band goes through the eye. The cheeks and throat are rufous. The breast is bright chestnut, sometimes browner, and the belly is whitish. The flanks are black and white. The upperparts are brown, with blackish bars. The eyes are grey, the beak is black, and the legs are pink. There is red bare skin around the throat, usually covered by sparse feathers. The female bird's plumage is a little duller than the male's.
Taxonomy
Richard Bowdler Sharpe described this species as Bambusicola hyperythra in 1879, from specimens collected in northwestern Borneo by William Hood Treacher, who was Acting Governor of Labuan at that time. In 1890, Sharpe described the population on Mount Kinabalu as Bambusicola erythrophrys. It was formerly considered a subspecies, but it has been suggested that the brighter plumage on the face is due to age differences. The species is currently considered monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Arborophila hyperythra
- Authority
- (Sharpe, 1879)
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Phasianidae
- Genus
- Arborophila
Range and habitat
This partridge is endemic to north-central Borneo, including parts of Sabah, Sarawak, North Kalimantan and northern Central Kalimantan. It lives in primary and secondary forests at elevations of 600–1,800 m (2,000–5,900 ft) and prefers bamboos and thickets.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The red-breasted partridge feeds in groups, foraging in thickets, on forest roads and near rivers. Its diet consists of seeds, fruits and insects. It roosts in bushes. Its call is a duet, one bird giving rising chu notes and the other falling cuckoo notes. Its breeding is poorly known.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Jambu Fruit-Dove
Ptilinopus jambu
The plum-red face and pink “blush” on the white chest of the cartoonish-looking male are unique. Plainer female and juvenile can be difficult to separate from female Black-naped Fruit Dove; look out for Jambu’s bright white eye-ring and orange bill. Generally uncommon and nomadic; roams widely across lowland and foothill forests, where it seeks out fruiting trees. Forages quietly in the canopy, typically singly or in pairs.
Udzungwa Partridge
Xenoperdix udzungwensis
An unusual forest-dwelling partridge with a tiny range in the mountains of central Tanzania. The back is brown and barred, the underparts are gray with black scallops, and the bill is red. Found very locally in montane forest, especially in steep areas with bamboo. Somewhat similar to Scaly Francolin, but separated by smaller size and far more colorful markings. Most often detected by call: a repeated “kur-kur-kree” chant.
Tasmanian Thornbill
Acanthiza ewingii
Small bird with thin pointed bill. Upperparts brown, underparts grayish brown, with dark red eye, reddish-brown forehead, and pale gray throat with indistinct streaking. Similar Brown Thornbill has shorter tail, grayer flanks, and a pale instead of rufous-brown wing panel. Endemic to Tasmania, where found in wet forests with well-developed shrub layer.
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