Hill Partridge vs Swamp Francolin
Arborophila torqueola compared with Ortygornis gularis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Hill Partridge | Swamp Francolin |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Arborophila torqueola | Ortygornis gularis |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Near Threatened |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 27.3 cm (10.7 in) | — |
| Weight | 342.0 g (12.06 oz) | 510.0 g (17.99 oz) |
| Diet | Forages on Himalayan forest floor for seeds, invertebrates, and small fruits. Scratches leaf litter in … | Eats seeds, roots, invertebrates, and small animals in Indian swamp grass and reed beds. |
| Clutch Size | 3-9 | 3-7 |
| 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.
Swamp Francolin
Harsh, grating 'kurr-KURR-kurr' calls from tall grass and reed beds; South Asian species. Alarm is explosive rapid cackle from dense cover. Contact calls between pair members are lower guttural notes.
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.
Swamp Francolin
Resident of tall wet grassland and reed beds along rivers and wetlands in the Terai of Nepal, India (Assam), and Bangladesh.
Conservation Status
Hill Partridge
Swamp Francolin
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.
Swamp Francolin
Dark rufous-brown above with black and buff streaking; white throat; rufous-buff below with white shaft streaks and dark brown lateral flank stripes; red bill; legs red in male. Larger than …
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.
Swamp Francolin
A large Phasianidae francolin (~510 g) inhabiting tall grass, reedbeds, and swampy margins of rivers and wetlands in the Gangetic Plains and Nepal Terai. Boldly streaked rufous-brown. Dependent on intact floodplain grass habitat that is rapidly degrading. Near Threatened from wetland drainage and grassland conversion.