The orange-necked partridge is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. It is found in eastern Cambodia and southern Vietnam. Its habitats are lowland forests, shrubland, and plantations. It was described in 1927 and rediscovered in 1991. It is threatened by habitat loss, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed it as a near-threatened species.
Region
Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Occurs in southern Vietnam and adjacent eastern Cambodia, mainly in remnant lowland evergreen and semi-evergreen forests. It also uses bamboo thickets, dense secondary growth, and occasionally edges of plantations near intact forest. The species favors areas with thick understory and abundant leaf-litter for foraging. Human disturbance and forest conversion fragment its habitat, confining it to protected or remote tracts.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This elusive forest partridge was first described in 1927 and then went unrecorded for decades until its rediscovery in 1991. It keeps to dense lowland evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, where it forages quietly on the leaf-litter. Its restricted range in southern Vietnam and eastern Cambodia makes it vulnerable to habitat loss and degradation. Conservation efforts focus on protecting remaining lowland forest blocks and controlling hunting pressure.
Temperament
shy and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Typically found in pairs or small family coveys that keep close cover. Nests on the ground in dense vegetation; breeding likely coincides with the early rainy season. Pairs may duet, maintaining contact while foraging.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives a series of clear, whistled notes that accelerate and then slow, often delivered as duets at dawn and dusk. Calls carry through dense forest but the bird usually remains unseen.
