Hill Partridge

This article is about the species Arborophila torqueola. For other members of the genus that sometimes are known as hill partridge, see Arborophila.

Hill Partridge
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Galliformes
Family:	Phasianidae
Subfamily:	Perdicinae
Genus:	Arborophila
Species:	A. torqueola
Binomial name
Arborophila torqueola Valenciennes, 1826

The Hill Partridge (Arborophila torqueola) is a species of bird in the Phasianidae family. It is found in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

A male from Arunachal Pradesh, India

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 head markings but share the variegated wings and grey-streaked underparts of the male. Four subspecies have been identified on the basis of differences on the head markings on the male. The food of this species comprises seeds and various invertebrates, which it collects by scratching in leaf litter. The birds are mostly seen in pairs or small coveys of up to 10 individuals that may be made up of family groups.

The Hill Partridge has a hen-like contact call that is constantly uttered when it is feeding. Indian populations 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. Incubation times are unrecorded in wild birds but are reported to be 24 days for captive birds. The nest is shaped like a bowl, with a dome of glass when it is placed in a bank. The range spans over a narrow band from the western Himalayas to north Vietnam. The species is not globally threatened and is common in most parts of its range.

References

• BirdLife International 2004. Arborophila torqueola. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 10 July 2007.