Long-billed partridge

Overview

Wikipedia

The long-billed partridge is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae.

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Distribution

Region

Sundaland

Typical Environment

Occurs in lowland and hill evergreen rainforests of the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra, with strong association to primary and selectively logged dipterocarp forests. It keeps to dense understory, bamboo thickets, and rattan tangles where it forages quietly on the forest floor. The species avoids open habitats and heavily disturbed plantations, making it sensitive to deforestation and fragmentation. Records are typically from remote forest blocks and protected areas.

Altitude Range

Sea level to 1200 m

Climate Zone

Tropical

Characteristics

Size30–35 cm

Wing Span40–48 cm

Male Weight0.26 kg

Female Weight0.24 kg

Life Expectancy6 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 1/5

Useful to know

The long-billed partridge is a shy, ground-dwelling pheasant relative of Southeast Asian rainforests, notable for its unusually long, downcurved bill used to probe leaf litter and soft soil. It is more often detected by its soft, whistled calls than seen. Some authorities have split the Bornean Dulit partridge from this species, reflecting geographic variation and conservation concern.

Gallery

Behaviour

Temperament

shy and secretive

Flight Pattern

reluctant flier with short rapid wingbeats when flushed

Social Behavior

Usually encountered singly, in pairs, or small family groups skirting dense understory. Nests are shallow ground scrapes hidden in vegetation, with both sexes likely involved in care. Courtship and territory are expressed through soft calls and subtle displays rather than conspicuous visual shows.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

A series of soft, whistled notes, often given at dawn and dusk, carrying gently through dense forest. Calls can be mournful, two- or three-note phrases repeated at intervals, aiding contact between mates.

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Identification

Leg Colorpinkish-grey

Eye Colordark brown

Plumage

Cryptic, finely barred and mottled brown upperparts with buffy to cinnamon tones; paler underparts with subtle scaling; greyish face and a pale throat; sexes similar.

Feeding Habits

Diet

Feeds on seeds, small fruits, tender shoots, and a variety of invertebrates such as insects, larvae, and worms. The long bill probes leaf litter, soft soil, and rotting wood for hidden prey. It also picks fallen fruits and seeds from the forest floor, complementing protein intake with plant matter.

Preferred Environment

Forages under dense understory, along quiet forest trails, and near bamboo and rattan thickets. It stays close to cover and rarely ventures into open areas.

Population

Total Known Populationunknown

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