Taiwan partridge

Robert Swinhoe described this species in 1864, proposing that it belongs to a new genus, Oreoperdix. The bird had an "ugly raw-looking red patch on the throat".[3] Swinhoe initially thought that the bird was injured, but found that the patch was natural after close examination. The red patch probably exists only in the breeding season.[3] A monotypic species,[4] it is now placed in the genus Arborophila.[5] The specific name crudigularis is from the Latin words for "bleeding" and "throated".[6] A 2015 study suggests that its closest relatives are not in adjacent mainland China, but in south-east Asia, and that they spread along continental shelf areas exposed by lowered sea levels during the ice age.[7]

The Taiwan partridge is about 28 cm (11 in) long. The male weighs about 311 g (11.0 oz), and the female weighs about 212 g (7.5 oz).[2] The crown is grey. The head has black sides, and a white eyebrow, chin and patch below the eye. The throat is white, and there is a black half collar.[8] The upperparts are olive-grey with black bars, and there are three grey bars on the rounded, rufous wings. The tail is short and rounded. The underparts are blue-grey, with white streaks on the flanks. The eye is black, with a narrow red ring around it. The beak is blue-grey, and the feet are orange-red. The female bird is similar to the male, but it has fewer streaks on its throat and more streaks on its flanks.[2]

This partridge is endemic to Taiwan, found in the central and eastern mountains.[8] It lives in broadleaf forests, preferring thickets and undergrowth. It is found at elevations of 700–3,000 m (2,300–9,800 ft) above sea level, mainly at 1,500–2,000 m (4,900–6,600 ft).[4]

The Taiwan partridge's voice is a rising and falling series of gurru calls. Duets and choruses are often heard. Single calls are similar to those of the black-necklaced scimitar babbler.[2] It forages in groups of two or three birds, eating earthworms, berries, seeds, seedlings and insects. It breeds from March to August, depending on the elevation, and it nests in a crevice or under a tree. There are six to eight white eggs in a clutch, incubated for about 24 days.[4]

The species's population size is estimated to be much more than 10,000 mature birds. It is probably declining outside of protected areas, as a result of deforestation. The IUCN downlisted it to a least-concern species in 2014 because its population and range are larger than earlier estimates. It occurs in several national parks and nature reserves.[1]