Hill Partridge vs Cheer Pheasant
Arborophila torqueola compared with Catreus wallichii
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Hill Partridge | Cheer Pheasant |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Arborophila torqueola | Catreus wallichii |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 27.3 cm (10.7 in) | 48.9 cm (19.3 in) |
| Weight | 342.0 g (12.06 oz) | 1327.5 g (46.83 oz) |
| Diet | Forages on Himalayan forest floor for seeds, invertebrates, and small fruits. Scratches leaf litter in … | Scratches for seeds, tubers, roots, and invertebrates on steep Himalayan hillsides; also takes berries and … |
| Clutch Size | 3-9 | 9-14 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
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.
Cheer Pheasant
Loud, far-carrying 'cheer-cheer-chirwa-chirwa' calls; responsible for common name. Himalayan species with ringing, slightly laughing quality to call. Alarm is a rapid harsh cackle from rocky slopes.
Geographic Range & Migration
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.
Cheer Pheasant
Endemic to rocky hillside scrub and grass-covered slopes in the western Himalayas, from Pakistan east through India to Nepal, at 1,200–3,000 m.
Conservation Status
Hill Partridge
Cheer Pheasant
How to Tell Them Apart
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.
Cheer Pheasant
Pale grey-brown overall with dense dark brown vermiculations; buff-white underparts streaked brown; long pale grey tail narrowly barred brown; red facial skin; grey crest. Sexes alike but female smaller.
About These Birds
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.
Cheer Pheasant
A large Phasianidae pheasant (~1.33 kg) of grassy hillside scrub and forest margins in the western Himalayas. Both sexes are boldly barred grey-brown; the male has a long, finely barred tail. Diet encompasses grass shoots, roots, and invertebrates. Vulnerable from habitat loss and human disturbance.