Hill Partridge vs Bulwer's Pheasant
Arborophila torqueola compared with Lophura bulweri
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Hill Partridge | Bulwer's Pheasant |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Arborophila torqueola | Lophura bulweri |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 27.3 cm (10.7 in) | 49.4 cm (19.4 in) |
| Weight | 342.0 g (12.06 oz) | 1297.5 g (45.77 oz) |
| Diet | Forages on Himalayan forest floor for seeds, invertebrates, and small fruits. Scratches leaf litter in … | Ground forager feeding on seeds, fallen fruit, invertebrates, and small animals in Bornean lowland rainforest. |
| Clutch Size | 3-9 | 1-5 |
| 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.
Bulwer's Pheasant
Loud, crow-like 'krak-krak' calls; Bornean endemic. Alarm is an explosive cackling rattle. Males display with erect white tail fans while calling. Contact between birds is guttural clucking.
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.
Bulwer's Pheasant
Endemic to montane and lowland forest in Sarawak and Sabah, Borneo; found from lowlands to 1,200 m.
Conservation Status
Hill Partridge
Bulwer's 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.
Bulwer's Pheasant
Male entirely glossy blue-black; long pure white tail fans upward in display; legs red; striking cobalt-blue and red facial wattles greatly enlarged. Female warm reddish-brown with whitish shaft streaks.
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.
Bulwer's Pheasant
A large, bizarre Phasianidae pheasant (~1.3 kg) of lowland and hill forests in Borneo. Males display fleshy white facial wattles that can expand dramatically during courtship. Plumage is dark glossy blue. Diet includes seeds, fruits, and invertebrates. Vulnerable from rapid deforestation of Bornean lowlands.