The white-necklaced partridge, also known as the collared partridge or Rickett's hill-partridge, is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. It is endemic to southeastern China. It is threatened by habitat loss and hunting, and the IUCN has assessed it as near-threatened.
Region
Southeast China
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily in subtropical evergreen broadleaf and mixed forests with dense understory, including secondary growth and bamboo thickets. It favors shaded gullies, stream margins, and slopes with deep leaf litter for foraging. The species generally avoids open farmland and heavily disturbed edges, keeping to interior forest or well-vegetated regenerating areas. Local populations persist where hunting pressure is low and forest structure remains intact.
Altitude Range
200–1500 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Also called the collared partridge or Rickett's hill-partridge, this shy ground-dweller inhabits dense, subtropical forests in southeastern China. It is threatened by hunting and the loss and fragmentation of low to mid-elevation forests. The species is assessed by the IUCN as Near Threatened, with localized, patchy populations. Pairs and family coveys often keep to cover and are more often heard than seen.
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually found in pairs or small family coveys that move quietly through dense understory. Nests are placed on the ground, often hidden in leaf litter or at the base of shrubs. Courtship and territorial displays are mostly vocal; birds maintain close contact calls while foraging.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A series of clear, whistled notes given in accelerating or evenly spaced sequences, often as duets between pair members. Calls carry well through dense vegetation and are most frequent at dawn and dusk. Alarm calls are sharper, clipped whistles.
Plumage
Finely patterned brown upperparts with vermiculation, grey face and breast, and a distinctive clean white collar encircling the neck. Underparts show scaly or barred patterning with warmer rufous tones on the flanks. Feathers are tight and smooth, giving a compact, rounded appearance typical of hill-partridges.
Diet
Feeds on seeds, fallen fruits and berries, tender shoots, and a variety of invertebrates such as beetles, ants, termites, and worms. It scratches through leaf litter to uncover food and will probe soft soil along stream edges. Seasonal availability of fruits and insects influences the mix of plant versus animal matter.
Preferred Environment
Forages on the forest floor under dense cover, especially in bamboo patches, thickets, and along shaded ravines. It often works along paths and edges within forest interiors where leaf litter accumulates.
