Taiwan Partridge
Arborophila crudigularis
Subtly patterned sphere of a bird; the only hill partridge (genus Arborophila) on Taiwan, where endemic. Black-and-white facial pattern is diagnostic, unlikely to be confused with any other native bird. Female’s facial markings slightly weaker than male’s. Forages on the ground in small groups. Inhabits broadleaf and mixed forests in hills and mountains, where it forages quietly in the leaf litter. Gives loud, echoing tremulous songs, usually early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Generally shy but approachable where habituated at feeders.
Identification
The Taiwan partridge is about 28 cm (11 in) long. The male weighs about 311 g (11.0 oz), and the female weighs about 212 g (7.5 oz). The crown is grey. The head has black sides, and a white eyebrow, chin and patch below the eye. The throat is white, and there is a black half collar. The upperparts are olive-grey with black bars, and there are three grey bars on the rounded, rufous wings. The tail is short and rounded. The underparts are blue-grey, with white streaks on the flanks. The eye is black, with a narrow red ring around it. The beak is blue-grey, and the feet are orange-red. The female bird is similar to the male, but it has fewer streaks on its throat and more streaks on its flanks.
Taxonomy
Robert Swinhoe described this species in 1864, proposing that it belongs to a new genus, Oreoperdix. The bird had an "ugly raw-looking red patch on the throat". Swinhoe initially thought that the bird was injured, but found that the patch was natural after close examination. The red patch probably exists only in the breeding season. A monotypic species, it is now placed in the genus Arborophila. The specific name crudigularis is from the Latin words for "bleeding" and "throated". A 2015 study suggests that its closest relatives are not in adjacent mainland China, but in south-east Asia, and that they spread along continental shelf areas exposed by lowered sea levels during the ice age.
- Scientific name
- Arborophila crudigularis
- Authority
- (Swinhoe, 1864)
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Phasianidae
- Genus
- Arborophila
Range and habitat
This partridge is endemic to Taiwan, found in the central and eastern mountains. It lives in broadleaf forests, preferring thickets and undergrowth. It is found at elevations of 700–3,000 m (2,300–9,800 ft) above sea level, mainly at 1,500–2,000 m (4,900–6,600 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The Taiwan partridge's voice is a rising and falling series of gurru calls. Duets and choruses are often heard. Single calls are similar to those of the black-necklaced scimitar babbler. It forages in groups of two or three birds, eating earthworms, berries, seeds, seedlings and insects. It breeds from March to August, depending on the elevation, and it nests in a crevice or under a tree. There are six to eight white eggs in a clutch, incubated for about 24 days.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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