Chestnut-breasted Partridge vs Painted Francolin
Arborophila mandellii compared with Francolinus pictus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Chestnut-breasted Partridge | Painted Francolin |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Arborophila mandellii | Francolinus pictus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 25.9 cm (10.2 in) | 27.8 cm (10.9 in) |
| Weight | 268.0 g (9.45 oz) | 291.0 g (10.26 oz) |
| Diet | Forages on floor of Eastern Himalayan and Tibetan foothill forests for seeds, invertebrates, and small … | Eats seeds, grain, invertebrates, and plant material; forages in dry grass and scrubby areas of … |
| Clutch Size | 4 | 4-8 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Chestnut-breasted Partridge
Ringing, whistled 'whi-WHEOO' in pairs or series; melodic and clear. Found in Himalayan foothills; male sings from dense bamboo. Alarm is a low guttural 'krrk-krrk' rapidly repeated.
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
Chestnut-breasted Partridge
Resident in the eastern Himalayas of Bhutan, India (Arunachal Pradesh), and southern Tibet at 1,500-2,700 m. Found in dense subtropical forest.
Painted Francolin
Endemic to India; resident of open scrub, dry grassland, and farmland across most of peninsular India.
Conservation Status
Chestnut-breasted Partridge
Painted Francolin
How to Tell Them Apart
Chestnut-breasted Partridge
Brown above; large chestnut breast patch; throat white bordered by black band; flanks grey with white streaks; bare red eye-ring; chestnut breast separated from grey flanks by clear demarcation.
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
Chestnut-breasted Partridge
A medium-sized partridge (~270 g) of family Phasianidae, with a chestnut breast and finely barred plumage. Inhabits subtropical and montane forests in the eastern Himalayas from northeastern India through Bhutan to southwestern China. Forages for seeds and invertebrates on the forest floor. Near Threatened due to forest loss and hunting across its Himalayan foothill range.
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.