Hill Partridge vs Sabah Partridge
Arborophila torqueola compared with Tropicoperdix graydoni
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Hill Partridge | Sabah Partridge |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Arborophila torqueola | Tropicoperdix graydoni |
| 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) | — |
| Diet | Forages on Himalayan forest floor for seeds, invertebrates, and small fruits. Scratches leaf litter in … | Feeds on seeds, fruits, and invertebrates in Sabah forest; poorly known diet inferred from related … |
| Clutch Size | 3-9 | -- |
| 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.
Sabah Partridge
Whistled 'wheee-oo' call from Sabah lowland forest; similar to Chestnut-necklaced Partridge but considered distinct. Very poorly known vocally. Alarm presumably sharp 'kek'; contact clucking low.
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.
Sabah Partridge
Endemic to Sabah, Borneo (Malaysia); resident of submontane and montane forest above 900 m.
Conservation Status
Hill Partridge
Sabah 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.
Sabah Partridge
Brown upperparts with dusky vermiculations; white supercilium; buffy-orange underparts; chestnut patch on breast less pronounced than in Chestnut-necklaced Partridge; greenish-grey legs; restricted to Borneo.
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.
Sabah Partridge
A little-studied Phasianidae partridge endemic to forests of Sabah and adjacent northeastern Borneo. Formerly lumped with the Chestnut-necklaced Partridge; recently elevated to full species status. Biology poorly known; presumed to forage on seeds and invertebrates in lowland forest. Near Threatened.