Collared Partridge vs Painted Francolin
Arborophila gingica compared with Francolinus pictus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Collared Partridge | Painted Francolin |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Arborophila gingica | Francolinus pictus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 27.6 cm (10.9 in) | 27.8 cm (10.9 in) |
| Weight | 286.5 g (10.11 oz) | 291.0 g (10.26 oz) |
| Diet | Eats seeds, invertebrates, and small fruits on floor of southern Chinese hill forests. Scratches leaf … | Eats seeds, grain, invertebrates, and plant material; forages in dry grass and scrubby areas of … |
| Clutch Size | 5-7 | 4-8 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Collared Partridge
Melodic, slightly plaintive 'cu-WEE' whistle repeated at regular intervals from Chinese forest; carries well. Pairs often call in near-synchrony at dawn. Alarm note is an abrupt sharp 'kip'.
Painted Francolin
Loud, insistent 'ka-TURR-ka' calls from Indian scrub; similar to Black Francolin but slightly higher and less grating. Alarm is rapid cackling cackle. Males call from termite mound or rock at …
Geographic Range & Migration
Collared Partridge
Endemic to southeastern China in Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Zhejiang at 200-1,500 m. Found in subtropical forest.
Painted Francolin
Endemic to India; resident of open scrub, dry grassland, and farmland across most of peninsular India.
Conservation Status
Collared Partridge
Painted Francolin
How to Tell Them Apart
Collared Partridge
Brown above; white throat bordered by black collar band; grey breast with rufous streaking; flanks chestnut streaked white; bare red eye-ring; bold black collar below white throat is the key …
Painted Francolin
Richly patterned; black above with large white spots; rufous-orange face and throat; white-spotted black flanks; rufous-chestnut underparts with black shaft streaks. Female lacks rufous on face; duller below.
About These Birds
Collared Partridge
A medium-sized partridge (~285 g) of family Phasianidae, with a white collar and spotted brown plumage. Endemic to subtropical mountain forests in southeastern China (Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan). Forages on the forest floor for seeds and invertebrates. Near Threatened; facing significant pressure from deforestation of lowland forest in southeastern China and hunting.
Painted Francolin
A small Phasianidae francolin (~291 g) of rocky hillsides, scrub, and dry grassland across peninsular India and Sri Lanka. Both sexes are intricately spotted and streaked in rufous and white. Shy; detected by resonant calls. Feeds on seeds and invertebrates on the ground. Least Concern; common locally.