Roll's partridge is a bird species in the family Phasianidae. It is found in highland forest in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. It is sometimes treated as a subspecies of the grey-breasted partridge.
Region
Northern Sumatra Highlands
Typical Environment
Occupies montane and upper hill evergreen forests with dense understory and thick leaf litter. It favors shaded ravines, bamboo thickets, and forest edges near streams, usually remaining close to cover. Birds typically keep to the forest floor, moving quietly while foraging and flushing only when approached closely. It can occur in selectively logged forest if sufficient ground cover remains, but avoids open, heavily degraded areas.
Altitude Range
600–2000 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Roll's partridge is a shy, ground-dwelling pheasant of the Sumatran highlands and is often heard before it is seen. It has sometimes been treated as a subspecies of the grey-breasted partridge of Java, but is generally recognized as distinct. Habitat loss from agricultural expansion and logging is a concern, though it persists in several protected areas such as Gunung Leuser National Park.
Temperament
secretive and shy
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually encountered in pairs or small family coveys that keep close contact while moving through leaf litter. Nests are on or near the ground, hidden in dense vegetation. Likely monogamous with both adults attending the brood; clutch size is small, typical of Arborophila partridges.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are clear, repeated whistles that may accelerate or rise slightly in pitch, often delivered as duets at dawn and dusk. Calls carry well through montane forest and are a primary means of detection.
Plumage
Warm brown upperparts with dark scalloping, a neat grey breast, and finely barred flanks. Face shows a contrasting white throat bordered by black malar stripes and a narrow rufous nape collar. Underparts are grey to slate with some buffy barring toward the sides; tail short and rounded.
Diet
Feeds on a mix of fallen seeds, small fruits, green shoots, and a variety of invertebrates such as ants, beetles, termites, and earthworms. It scratches through leaf litter to uncover prey and will pick at soft fruits on the ground. Diet composition likely shifts seasonally with fruiting and invertebrate availability.
Preferred Environment
Forages almost exclusively on the forest floor in dense understory, along trails, and near stream edges where leaf litter accumulates. Prefers areas with abundant cover for quick concealment.
