Orange-necked Partridge
Arborophila davidi
Small, intricately patterned forest partridge, found only in a very small area of Vietnam and an even smaller patch of far eastern Cambodia. Somewhat similar in appearance to Bar-backed Partridge; look out for a white throat, thicker black line through the eye, and finer, less prominent white “scale” markings on the side. Orange tinge on the throat is weak and not always noticeable in the gloom of the dense hill forest understory. Gives an ascending series of pleasant whistles.
Identification
The orange-necked partridge is about 27 cm (11 in) long and weighs about 241 g (8.5 oz). The forehead and crown are dusky, and the nape is mottled brown. A black band extends from the beak to the sides of the neck, and a whitish band extends from the eye to the neck-sides, becoming orange. There is also a black breast-band. The chin is pale buff, and the throat is rusty-orange. The breast is olive-brown, and the belly is greyish and whitish. The flanks have black and white scallops. The back and rump are olive-brown, with dark brown bars. The wing coverts have black and grey bands. The eyes are brown, the beak is black, and the legs are pinkish.
Taxonomy
This species was described by Jean Théodore Delacour in 1927. The specific name is derived from André David-Beaulieu, a French colonial administrator who collected the type specimen earlier in 1927. There are no subspecies.
- Scientific name
- Arborophila davidi
- Authority
- Delacour, 1927
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Phasianidae
- Genus
- Arborophila
Range and habitat
The orange-necked partridge is found in southern Vietnam and a small area in Mondulkiri, Cambodia. It lives in forest in hills at elevations of 120–600 m (390–1,970 ft), preferring bamboos. It also occurs in some disturbed habitats, including scrubs, bamboos and logged plantations. In Vietnam, it occurs in several national parks and state forest enterprises. All of the individuals recorded in a 2005 survey lived less than 2 km (1.2 mi) from water.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Little is known about this partridge's behaviour. The territorial calls are a repeated, accelerating prruu, becoming pwi at higher pitches, and also a series of fast tu notes. In duets, the other bird responds with tchew-tchew-tchew. The alarm call is a pher or phu.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Red-and-black Grosbeak
Periporphyrus erythromelas
Medium-sized shy bird of tall forest. Both sexes easily recognizable by thick conical bill and contrasting black head; male’s red plumage renders it essentially unmistakable. Female similarly patterned, but with red replaced by yellow and olive. Found in middle and lower levels of rainforest, especially in hilly regions and premontane forests around the tepuis; locally distributed and nowhere common. Sometimes follows mixed-species flocks. Gives thin, lisping contact calls that are easily overlooked. Male’s song is a slow, rich, inflected warble, usually ending on a higher note; distinctive once learned.
Chestnut-bellied Partridge
Arborophila javanica
Brilliantly colored small partridge of montane and foothill forests. Often difficult to see in the gloom and tangle of shaded vegetation, but note slate-gray back and chest, rusty belly, and bright orange-and-black face pattern. Like other Arborophila partridges, typically forages on the forest floor in small groups. Song is a fast and gradually rising series of “whew” notes; when duetting, one bird gives the aforementioned song while its partner gives a slower, lower-pitched “boo-goo, boo-goo, boo-goo.”
Silvery Wood-Pigeon
Columba argentina
Beautiful grayish-white pigeon with black wing- and tail-tips. Rare, little-known, and extremely localized; now found only on islands off western Sumatra (though may occasionally wander onto the main island), where it forages in lowland and hill forest. Vocalizations poorly understood and seldom heard; documented giving deep, sonorous, rising coos.
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