Fun Hill Partridge Facts For Kids

The hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola), with its family genus being Phasianidae and Arborophila, is a pheasant bird seen in Asia. The hill partridge adaptations have allowed it to live in a vast geographical range.

True to its name, these birds are mostly found in moist mountainous areas. These birds are also known as the common hill partridge or the necklaced hill partridge.

A very unique feature of these birds belonging to the genus Arborophilia is their ability to let out melodious songs. Based on the location where they are found, five subspecies of this species have been noted.

The Arborophila torqueola millardi subspecies is noted in the Himalayan region. The Arborophila torqueola interstincta and Arborophila torqueola batemani are found in Nepal and Myanmar. The Arborophila torqueola griseata subspecies can be seen in Vietnam. The Arborophila torqueola torqueola subspecies can be spotted in Nepal, extreme Tibet, and even some parts of the northern Yunan provinces of China.

Keep reading for more amazing hill partridge facts! For more relatable content, check out these lesser prairie chicken facts and Canyon wren facts for kids.

Hill Partridge Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a hill partridge?

The hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola) is a type of partridge bird and belongs to the family of Phasianidae.

What class of animal does a hill partridge belong to?

The hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola) or common hill partridge belongs to the Aves class of animals with its order, family, genus being Galliformes, Phasianidae, and Arborophila.

How many hill partridges are there in the world?

The exact population of the hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola) or common hill partridge has not yet been calculated by scientists and researchers since the bird species belonging to the genus Arborphila has a large geographical range and is, therefore, difficult to track and take note of.

Where does a hill partridge live?

The hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola) or common hill partridge species is noted in a large geographical range throughout Asia. The hill partridge location is not native to any one country but is seen on the Himalayan mountain slopes along with the adjoining countries of Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan.

In addition to that, this bird species is also observed in North India, northern Thailand, and northern Vietnam. This bird species has also been spotted in Myanmar.

What is a hill partridge's habitat?

The hill partridge habitat mostly consists of moist forests in mountain regions. These birds are seen in moist tropical forests in high as well as low altitudinal regions. This species (Arborophila torqueola) is also seen in moist mountain scrublands.

Who do hill partridges live with?

Not much is known about the social behavior of the hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola) or common hill partridge bird species. However, they have been noted to forage together in small groups.

How long does a hill partridge live?

The exact lifespan of the hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola) or common hill partridge has not yet been observed by scientists. However, the average lifespan of a partridge bird is around two years.

How do they reproduce?

Partridge birds are usually known to be monogamous as they breed with the same partner year after year. However, there is no conclusive evidence regarding if a pair of male and female hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola) mate for life.

The hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola) or necklaced hill partridge species start breeding in the month of April and continues breeding till June. The breeding nest is built of grass where the female bird lays three to five eggs. The incubation period lasts for 24 days. The chicks are seen to leave the breeding nest quite soon after they hatch.

What is their conservation status?

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola) falls under the category of Least Concern in the current IUCN Red List.

This is because scientists have determined that the small bird species can be seen abundantly in the hill partridge range and does not face any immediate threat or risk of extinction, according to the metrics of the IUCN Red List.

Hill Partridge Fun Facts

What do hill partridges look like?

The hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola) male and female birds can be distinguished with the help of their distinct head pattern. The male birds have a unique color pattern and marks on their head. The pattern is mostly orange and black in color.

The sides of their head also have orange stripes. However, their throat is streaked with black and white. The female birds do not have the peculiar orange-colored crown and are more muted in terms of their plumage.

Males have gray or olive-colored feathers on the chest, while the sides of the hill partridge feathers are orange or brown in color with white streaks. The hill partridge beak is also black and white in color.

How cute are they?

The hill partridge appearance (Arborophila torqueola) is not conventionally cute, but this bird species has its own unique cuteness! The unique shape of the hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola), along with its bright, multicolored plumage, makes it a very attractive bird.

How do they communicate?

The hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola) mostly use sound to communicate with each other.

How big is a hill partridge?

The length of a hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola) is approximately 10.6-11.8 in (27-30 cm).

The hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola) is roughly the same size as that of a gray partridge (Perdix perdix). The gray partridge (Perdix perdix) grows to be around 10.6-13 in (27-33 cm) in length.

How fast can a hill partridge fly?

The hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola) mostly prefers to run while escaping from danger, but they can also fly pretty fast.

How much does a hill partridge weigh?

The hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola) mostly weighs around 8.1-13.8 oz (230-390 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

The male or female hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola) does not have a unique, separate name. Therefore, they are commonly referred to as a male hill partridge or female hill partridge.

What would you call a baby hill partridge?

The baby of a hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola) species does not have a distinct name. Consequently, it is usually referred to as a chick or a nestling.

What do they eat?

The hill partridge diet (Arborophila torqueola) mostly consists of seeds and invertebrates like mollusks and larvae. This bird has been noted to be scratching among leaf litter to find its food.

Are they poisonous?

The hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola) is not known to be poisonous to human beings and other birds.

Would they make a good pet?

The hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola) would not make a good pet, unlike Fischer's lovebird. They are a wild bird species belonging to the Galliformes order and are most fearful of humans. Birds like gray partridges were also reared in captivity as they served as game birds. However, hill partridges were never used as game birds for sports.

Did you know...

The hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola) birds let out rapid, whistling notes when calling each other and make a distinct 'whoop' sound during the breeding season. Sometimes, a 'kwikwikwik' sounding duet song is also heard, including the hill partridge male and hill partridge female.

The female starts the song with the male bird joining in during the crescendo. All of their songs last for five to six seconds.

What does a partridge represent?

The hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola) is known in Greek mythology due to its association with the goddess of wisdom, Athena. The partridge bird is also a symbol of fertility and feminine energy due to its association with Athena.

Are hill partridges endangered?

The hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola) is not endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), unlike the Asian bird species giant ibis, which is classified as Critically Endangered in the current IUCN Red List.

This bird species belonging to the genus Arborophila has been classified as Least Concern in the current IUCN Red List. The hill partridge (Arborophila torqueola) is quite abundantly seen in the northern parts of the Himalayan region along with southeast Asian nations like Thailand and Vietnam.

However, it is suspected that bird species might be in decline due to continuous habitat destruction.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these bobwhite quail surprising facts and mountain chickadee interesting facts pages.

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

Main image by Umesh Srinivasan

Second image by P Jeganathan