Hill Partridge vs Green-legged Partridge
Arborophila torqueola compared with Tropicoperdix chloropus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Hill Partridge | Green-legged Partridge |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Arborophila torqueola | Tropicoperdix chloropus |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 27.3 cm (10.7 in) | — |
| Weight | 342.0 g (12.06 oz) | 276.0 g (9.74 oz) |
| Diet | Forages on Himalayan forest floor for seeds, invertebrates, and small fruits. Scratches leaf litter in … | Forages in SE Asian forest for seeds, fruits, invertebrates, and small animals; scratches leaf litter … |
| Clutch Size | 3-9 | 2-4 |
| 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.
Green-legged Partridge
Loud, repeated 'wheee-oop' whistle from SE Asian lowland forest floor; melodic and slightly descending. Contact calls between pairs are soft, guttural clucks. Alarm is a rapid sharp 'kek' series.
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.
Green-legged Partridge
Resident of lowland and foothill forest in Myanmar, Thailand, peninsular Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, from sea level to 1,800 m.
Conservation Status
Hill Partridge
Green-legged Partridge
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.
Green-legged Partridge
Brown and rufous upperparts with dark shaft streaks; white supercilium; orange-buff underparts with dark flanks; distinctive green legs and feet; male with chestnut throat band absent in female.
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.
Green-legged Partridge
A small Phasianidae partridge (~276 g) of foothill and montane forests in Indochina and adjacent China. Named for its distinctive greenish legs. Inhabits dense undergrowth along forest streams. Forages on the ground for seeds, fruits, and invertebrates. Secretive; detected mainly by call. Least Concern.