The common hill-partridge (Arborophila torqueola), also known as the necklaced hill-partridge is a species of bird in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. These hill partridges are common in southeast Asian countries such as India, Nepal, Tibet, Myanmar, China, Thailand and Vietnam. In India, these birds occur in Himachal Pradesh and northeastern states.
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated Arborophila torqueola species and listed them as of "Least Concern".
There are five recognized subspecies of these birds, namely, Arborophila torqueola millardi, A. t. interstincta, A. t. torqueola, A. t. batemani and A. t. griseata. The subspecies A. t. millardi occur in the Himalayan foothills in Himachal Pradesh in India and Nepal. The subspecies A. t. interstincta occurs in the northeast India.
These hill partridges are medium sized, measuring 25 to 30 cms in length and weighing 200 to 450 grams. The male birds are larger than the females and more colorful. They have distinctive head pattern and the males have crown and a neckband.
Habitat of hill partridge
The A. torqueola birds occur in montane forests of the foothills of Himalayas. They are found at elevations between 1500 m and 3000 m. They feed on seeds, shoots, berries and various invertebrates like insects, small molluscs and worms on the forest floor. The hill partridges breed between April and June and nest has about ten eggs. They move as pairs or in small family groups. |
| Indian bird - Hill partridge - Arborophila torqueola |
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| Engineercad | CC BY-SA 4.0 as on 6/1/18 |
| Biological classification of Arborophila torqueola | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Phasianidae |
| Subfamily: | Perdicinae |
| Genus: | Arborophila |
| Species: | A. torqueola |
| Binomial name: | Arborophila torqueola |
| Distribution: | India, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam; |
| Feeding habits: | seeds, berries, shoots, insects and invertebrates; |
| IUCN status listing: | Least Concern |
Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Arborophila_torqueola.jpg
Author: Umeshsrinivasan | License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Current topic in Birds of India: Hill partridge - Arborophila torqueola.
