The crimson-headed partridge is a species of bird in the pheasant, partridge, and francolin family Phasianidae. Described by the British ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe in 1879, it is the only species in the genus Haematortyx. It is endemic to Borneo, where it inhabits lower montane forest in the northern and central parts of the island. It is mainly found at elevations of 1,000–1,700 m (3,300–5,600 ft), but can be seen as low as 185 m (607 ft) and as high as 3,050 m (10,010 ft). Adult males have a striking appearance, with a dark blackish body and crimson red heads, necks, breasts, and undertail coverts. Females have a similar pattern, but with duller brownish-black colouration, orangish-red heads and breasts, and a brownish-black bill instead of a yellowish one. Juveniles are duller and have the crimson restricted to the top of the head.
Region
Borneo
Typical Environment
Occurs in the northern and central parts of Borneo across Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak), Brunei, and Indonesia (Kalimantan). It inhabits lower montane and hill dipterocarp forests with dense understory, including bamboo and rattan thickets, and extends into mossy forest at higher elevations. Birds keep close to the forest floor, frequenting ravines, ridgelines, and stream edges where cover is thick. It tolerates lightly disturbed and selectively logged forests but avoids open areas. Encounters are typically along shaded trails or quiet forest interiors.
Altitude Range
185–3050 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This monotypic species is the sole member of the genus Haematortyx and is endemic to the island of Borneo. Males are striking with a crimson head, neck, and breast contrasting a blackish body, while females are duller with orangish-red heads. It is a shy, ground-dwelling partridge that prefers dense understory and is more often heard than seen. Despite habitat pressures in parts of Borneo, it persists across suitable montane forests.
Illustration of male (front) and female (back)
Adults with juvenile in Kinabalu Park, Malaysia
Temperament
shy and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually encountered in pairs or small family coveys that keep low and move quietly through dense ground cover. Nests are on the ground, tucked into thick vegetation; clutch sizes are typically small to moderate. Breeding likely coincides with periods of increased food availability, and both adults remain attentive to chicks.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations include clear, whistled notes delivered in short series, often at dawn and dusk, and soft churring contact calls within coveys. Calls carry through dense forest and are a primary means of detection.
Plumage
Male with blackish body and vivid crimson head, neck, breast, and undertail coverts; female similar pattern but overall duller brownish-black with orangish-red head and breast.
Diet
Forages on seeds, fallen fruits, and green shoots, supplemented by invertebrates such as beetles, termites, ants, and worms. It scratches through leaf litter to uncover food and will pick berries or soft fruits from low vegetation. Opportunistic feeding allows it to exploit seasonal surges in fruiting and insect abundance.
Preferred Environment
Feeds almost exclusively on the forest floor in dense understory, along trail edges, near fallen logs, and beside streams where leaf litter accumulates. It favors shaded, humid microhabitats with abundant cover for quick concealment.
