Hill Partridge vs Grey Peacock-Pheasant
Arborophila torqueola compared with Polyplectron bicalcaratum
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Hill Partridge | Grey Peacock-Pheasant |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Arborophila torqueola | Polyplectron bicalcaratum |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 27.3 cm (10.7 in) | 40.2 cm (15.8 in) |
| Weight | 342.0 g (12.06 oz) | 479.75 g (16.92 oz) |
| Diet | Forages on Himalayan forest floor for seeds, invertebrates, and small fruits. Scratches leaf litter in … | Omnivorous forest floor forager; takes seeds, fruits, invertebrates, and small vertebrates in mainland SE Asia. |
| Clutch Size | 3-9 | 2-5 |
| 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.
Grey Peacock-Pheasant
Loud, penetrating 'kow-WEE' whistle; most vocal of peacock-pheasants, ringing through SE Asian forest. Male calls while displaying ocellated tail. Alarm is sharp 'kak'. Heard at dawn and dusk.
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.
Grey Peacock-Pheasant
Resident of hill and montane forest from northeastern India and Bangladesh east through Myanmar to southern China and mainland Southeast Asia.
Conservation Status
Hill Partridge
Grey Peacock-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.
Grey Peacock-Pheasant
Grey-brown with buff-white shaft streaks and dark vermiculations; large oval iridescent green and purple ocelli on wing coverts and tail; white-scaled face; yellow orbital skin. Female similar but smaller ocelli.
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.
Grey Peacock-Pheasant
The most widespread Polyplectron peacock-pheasant (~480 g), inhabiting forest understorey from northeastern India through mainland Southeast Asia. Males are grey-brown peppered with violet-green ocelli. Forages on the ground for seeds, invertebrates, and small reptiles. Tolerates secondary forest; Least Concern.