Moutain Bamboo

Mountain Bamboo Partridge

 Bambusicola fytchii

Photographed at Reid Zoo, Tucson, Arizona  Mar 2010

Mountain Bamboo Partridges of the Himalayas are small ground birds with a short black beak, short rounded wings, and a short tail.  They are approximately 14 inches tall.

The Mountain Bamboo species in India inhabit the bamboo scrub forest, tall grasslands and degraded forest areas and bamboo groves near water. The mountain bamboo partridge spend much of the time under the cover of undergrowth. They feed on seeds, berries, shoots, buds, grains, insects and worms. Breeding takes place between March and September. The male mountain bamboo partridge is monogamous and the female incubates the eggs. The Male partridge feeds the incubating female and the chicks.

When Mountain Bamboo Partridges are threatened, they prefer to run away.  If necessary, they fly with short, strong bursts, usually only for a few feet. They are rarely found far from water.  Their voice is a “loud ringing cackle” that repeats two notes over and over. 

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Grey Francolins

Grey Francolin Partridge

Francolinus pondicerianus

Photographed in the wild, 

Kohala, Big Island Hawaii      Mar 2014

"The Grey Francolin (formerly called Grey Partridge) is a common breeding resident game bird of India. It was first introduced to Hawaii in 1958. It is a species of partridge found in the plains and drier parts of South Asia up to altitudes of 1000 m. Usually seen in open cultivated land and scrub forests, their local Hindi name is “Teetar” (can also be used to describe other partridges and quails) and is based on their loud repeated Ka-tee-tar-tee-tar call which may be produced by more than one bird at a time. 

Since males attract challengers for a fight in the mating season, decoys are often used to trap these birds."

The Grey’s are usually found around sea level up to 500 feet while the other Hawaiian Francolins will be at higher altitudes.

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Erckel's Francolin

Erckel's Francolin

 Pternistis Erckelii

Photographed in the wild on

Mauna Kea Volcano, Hawaii    Mar 2014

In 1957 the species was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands but is native to Ethiopia. This type of partridge was one of many game birds brought to Hawai'i. There are two other varieties of Francolin on the islands, the Grey Francolin and the Black Francolin. 

Both the male and female are similar and sport a bright chestnut coloured cap. Both the male and female also have spurs on the backs of their legs; the male has two distinct spurs, whereas the female will only have one spur.

The Erckel female lays 7 to 12 spotted eggs which hatch about 22 days after being laid. This particular Francolin was photographed by the roadside of the Mauna Kea volcano at 9,000 ft.

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Crested Wood

Crested-wood Partridge

Rollulus Rouloul

Photographed at

Reid Zoo, Tucson, Arizona              Mar 2010

Discovery Cove, Orlando, Florida   Mar 2011

The Crested Wood Partridge, also known as the Crested Partridge, is a game bird in the pheasant family. This small partridge is a resident breeder in lowland rainforests in south Burma, south Thailand, and Malaysia. The male is blue in body (top photo) and the female is green in body with brown (photo below).

The crested wood partridge can live in groups of up to 15 individuals. Breeding pairs dig tunnel like nests beneath the litter of the forest floor. Offspring can number from four to eight chicks, which are cared for cooperatively by each parent. Larger broods may be divided, with each parent caring exclusively for half. Parents feed chicks for the first week, after which chicks forage for their own food.

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Chukar Partridge

Chukar Partridge  

(Alectoris chukar)

Photographed at

Bird Kingdom, Niagara Falls, Canada        Feb 2012

This partridge has its native range in Asia, the Chukar was introduced into the United States from Pakistan to be a game bird. British sportsmen in India considered the Chukar as good sport although they were not considered to be particularly good in flavour. Their fast flight and ability to fly some distance after being shot made recovery of the birds difficult without retriever dogs. It lives in dry, rocky terrain across the western United States and southern Canada.

The Chukar is the National bird of Pakistan. In Punjab, the Chukar has been considered as a symbol of intense, and often unrequited, love. They look a lot like a quail without the protruding head feathers.

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