Fun Crested Partridge Facts For Kids

The crested partridge (Rollulus rouloul) is a monogamous, non-migratory bird hailing from Southeast Asia. With a distinct red crest, these birds belong to wet forest habitats as well as in the zoo feeding on fruits, seeds, insects, and mollusks.

This species are known to be a dimorphic species where the male and the female birds differ from each other in terms of their appearances. The birds are mostly spotted near the forest floor but for conservation purposes, they are also kept in the zoo.

During breeding, the male creates the nest and the crested wood partridge nest is mostly on the ground, near the forest floor below bundles of leaf litter.

The leaf litter holds five to six white eggs throughout the gestation period. The female crested wood partridge is responsible for protecting the nest.

During communication, the male has a louder voice while females are known to produce a comparatively calmer noise during the gestation period. They are mostly heard during the early morning and during the onset of the evenings.

If you like this, you might want to read about  leghorn chicken and palm warbler.

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Crested Partridge Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a crested partridge?

The crested partridge (Rollulus rouloul) belonging to the Phasianidae family is a bird. It is a gamebird of the order Galliformes.

What class of animal does a crested partridge belong to?

The partridge is the only member of the Rollulus genus and belongs to the Aves class of animals.

How many crested partridges are there in the world?

The species has been listed under the Near Threatened category by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is difficult to search and calculate the exact number of this species currently living on the planet.

Where does a crested partridge live?

This species is a resident of the lowlands of Southeast Asia. Their presence is mostly restricted to their habitat in countries that can range from Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Thailand. At times, they are kept in the zoo for better crested wood partridge care where people can visit and watch them.

What is a crested partridge's habitat?

Crested wood partridges (Rollulus rouloul) belonging to the family Phasianidae are used to a rainy habitat. This species can be seen in sloppy hills near the open range of lowlands and rainforests.

These forests are mostly dense and damp towards the ground. These small wild birds build their nests and roost in these areas on leaf litter towards the forest floor in search of an adequate diet with a range of seeds, olive, and fruits.

Who do crested partridges live with?

This partridge is a monogamous species, mating for life and can be found mostly living in groups. The groups constitute a family of four to five members. In these small groups, they are distributed throughout the rainforest and the lowland. They can be spotted in solitary on rare occasions.

How long does a crested partridge live?

An average partridge (Rollulus rouloul) may live up to anywhere between 7-20 years depending on the surroundings they are in. When given proper care in captivity, they may live even longer.

How do they reproduce?

These partridges are monogamous birds that pair up with their own kinds for a long time. They usually breed once a year. There is no specific timing of their breeding season and it can happen during any month of the year.

Crested wood partridge breeding is dependent on territorial factors like their surroundings and seasonal variation. The parents roost near the ground in search of a proper diet acquired by foraging with their feet. They feed on fruit, mollusks, and invertebrates.

The female lays up to five to six white eggs and after incubating crested partridge eggs, the white eggs hatch. The incubation period lasts up to 18-20 days on average. The parents take care of the chicks until the time they reach maturity. These partridges are known to reach maturity within two to three weeks after their birth.

What is their conservation status?

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), these partridges are listed in the Near Threatened category. Belonging to the order Galliformes and a resident of Southeast Asia,  these birds have faced a decreasing trend in their population due to excessive hunting.

Crested Partridge Fun Facts

What do crested partridges look like?

The crested partridge (Rollulus rouloul) is an extremely attractive and beautiful species of Southeast Asian rainforests. Belonging to the wet habitat, these birds are mostly found on the ground.

The male has a shiny black body with a distinct red crest on the chest and sometimes on the head. The wings are brown in color, while the head is black and the forehead has white spots. The female has green feathers throughout its body.

Both birds have red linings under their eyes, helping them stand out in wild. They possess a dark beak, a pair of strong wings, a short tail, and long legs without a hind toe.

These birds can easily be identified by their red crest.

How cute are they?

Needless to say, these wild birds are extremely beautiful by appearance and are soothing to the eyes of the visitor, just like the grey partridge. The distinct red crest makes them look even more attractive and helps to attract a partner during the breeding season.

How do they communicate?

These birds of the genus Rollulus generally communicate through vocal sounds. The sounds may differ according to the purposes. The male generally calls out a high tone during their flights in order to attract females. They tend to produce high notes while marking their territory and while alarming an incoming danger.

How big is a crested partridge?

The partridge is not a large bird. It has an average weight of around 0.4-1.3 lb (200-600g) and measures 9-11 in (26-28cm) in length. They are almost one-third of a Tibetan partridge by size,a cousin of the crested partridge.

How fast can a crested partridge fly?

Considered to be a game bird in Southeast Asian countries with a pair of brown wings, these small birds are capable of flying at a fast pace. They fly through the dense rainforests and they need to be quick and fast in order to hunt for mollusks and insects from trees.

How much does a crested partridge weigh?

An average partridge bird weighs up to 0.4-1.3 lb (200-600g). It is way bulkier than a blackburnian warbler.

What are the male and female names of the species?

Female and male partridges are called a crested partridge hen and crested partridge cock respectively.

What would you call a baby crested partridge?

A baby crested partridge is usually referred to as a chick.

What do they eat?

A resident of the green and wet habitat, the crested wood partridge diet includes a range of food. The bird is omnivorous by nature and mostly feeds on olive, fruits, seeds, small insects, and mollusks. They feed on fruit and small invertebrates by foraging with their feet.

Are they poisonous?

No, there is no information about these birds being poisonous and they can be kept in the zoo alongside other animals. However, they can be a little aggressive when it comes to protecting the nest during the gestation period.

Would they make a good pet?

Being gray wild birds, they will not make great pets and are not kept as pets, unlike pine warblers. In some countries, it is against the law to keep these birds as pets. Due to the decreasing trend in their population, they are can be found at a zoo where adequate food and care is provided to them.

Did you know...

One of the unique crested wood partridge facts is that during the nesting season, these birds are most likely to build a bower for their chicks if the proper materials were available.

Although they are restricted to the ground, they can fly up to 3937 ft (1200 m) from the ground.

Indonesia records the highest decrease in the population of this species.

Are partridges solitary birds?

Partridges are not solitary birds and they are mostly seen in pairs with their respective family members.

Are crested partridges endangered?

This species is listed to be Near Threatened due to the excessive hunting of this species by humans. This activity has resulted in a decreasing trend in their population. However, they are not Endangered yet.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our mountain chickadee facts and common Murre facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Partridge coloring pages.