Bar-backed Partridge vs Hill Partridge
Arborophila brunneopectus compared with Arborophila torqueola
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Bar-backed Partridge | Hill Partridge |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Arborophila brunneopectus | Arborophila torqueola |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 26.3 cm (10.4 in) | 27.3 cm (10.7 in) |
| Weight | 292.5 g (10.32 oz) | 342.0 g (12.06 oz) |
| Diet | Forages on floor of Southeast Asian hill and montane forests for seeds, invertebrates, and small … | Forages on Himalayan forest floor for seeds, invertebrates, and small fruits. Scratches leaf litter in … |
| Clutch Size | 4 | 3-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Bar-backed Partridge
Loud, mellow 'hoo-WEE' whistle in pairs; first note lower and shorter. SE Asian hill forest species calling from dense cover at dusk and dawn. Alarm a clucking rattle.
Hill Partridge
Repeated melodic whistle 'wi-WHEEEOO' rising and falling; pairs often duet. Males sing from hillside undergrowth at dawn. Alarm is a sharp, emphatic 'kek' or staccato clucking.
Geographic Range & Migration
Bar-backed Partridge
Resident in Thailand, southern China, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. Found in dense forest and bamboo below 1,800 m.
Hill Partridge
Resident in the Himalayas and hills of India, Nepal, Bhutan, and southern China at 1,000-3,500 m. Found in oak and rhododendron forest.
Conservation Status
Bar-backed Partridge
Hill Partridge
How to Tell Them Apart
Bar-backed Partridge
Back and wings brown with bold black-and-buff barring; throat and face buff with dark streaks; breast brown; flanks grey with white streaks; bare red eye-ring; barred back is the key …
Hill Partridge
Male has orange-rufous face, white-spotted black throat collar, grey breast, and chestnut flanks streaked white on dark brown back. Female has brown face with buff streaking, less vivid collar.
About These Birds
Bar-backed Partridge
A medium-sized partridge (~290 g) of family Phasianidae, with boldly barred brown upperparts and a brownish breast. Inhabits subtropical and lower montane forests of northern Southeast Asia from Myanmar and Thailand to southern China and Indochina. Forages on the forest floor for seeds and invertebrates. Least Concern; broadly distributed across mainland Southeast Asian montane forests.
Hill Partridge
A medium-sized partridge (~340 g) of family Phasianidae, with intricate rufous, black, and white patterning and an orange-rufous head. Inhabits subtropical and montane broadleaved forests and bamboo thickets in the Himalayas from Pakistan to southwestern China. Forages on the forest floor for seeds, berries, and invertebrates. Least Concern; common in Himalayan foothills.