Nahan's partridge, also known as the Nahan's francolin, is a bird traditionally placed in the family Phasianidae. As suggested by its alternative name, it was formerly believed to be a francolin and placed either in Francolinus or Pternistis, but it is now known that its closest relative is the stone partridge and together may in fact be the only African representatives of the New World quails (Odontophoridae).
Region
Central Africa (Uganda and northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland and foothill tropical rainforests, especially in extensive primary forest with dense understory. It also uses older secondary forest, forest edges, and well-shaded stream gullies, but generally avoids open farmland and heavily degraded habitats. The species is patchily distributed due to forest fragmentation and hunting pressure. Local occurrence can be highly localized, with birds remaining close to suitable cover on the forest floor.
Altitude Range
600–1600 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Nahan's partridge (often called Nahan's francolin) was long placed with francolins, but genetic studies show it belongs with the New World quails (Odontophoridae), alongside the African stone partridge. It is a shy forest-floor bird that prefers dense understory and is most easily detected by its ringing duet calls at dawn and dusk. Habitat loss and hunting pressure have caused declines, and it survives in a patchy distribution in Central African forests.
Juvenile
Temperament
shy and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with explosive flush
Social Behavior
Usually found in pairs or small family groups moving quietly through leaf litter. Likely monogamous, with nests placed on the ground, well concealed by vegetation. When alarmed, it prefers to run before taking a short, explosive flight to nearby cover.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Duet-like ringing whistles and piping notes, most frequent at dawn and dusk. Calls carry through dense forest and are often the best way to detect the species.
Plumage
Dark brown to rufous-brown upperparts with fine barring and mottling; underparts dusky with paler scaling; overall a cryptic, earthy pattern suited to the forest floor.
Diet
Feeds on a mix of invertebrates (insects, termites, beetles) and plant matter such as seeds and fallen fruits. It scrapes and flicks leaf litter with its feet to uncover prey. Opportunistically takes small snails and other ground-dwelling invertebrates. Diet composition varies seasonally with fruiting and insect availability.
Preferred Environment
Forages on the shaded forest floor, especially along trails, stream margins, and in dense understory where cover is close at hand. Often remains within a small home range of suitable habitat patches.
