Rufous throated partridge of Bangladesh

008. Arborophila rufogularis (Blyth, 1849) Synonym: Arborophila intermedia Blyth, 1849 English name: Rufous-throated Partridge Bangla name: Lalgola Batai, Pahari Titir (Act)                                    

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Description: The Rufous-throated Partridge is a small terrestrial bird with a rufous-orange throat (length 27 cm, weight 355 g, wing 14 cm, bill 1.8 cm, tarsus 4 cm, tail 5.5 cm). Its male looks a little different from the female. It has golden olive-brown upperparts with black spots on the rump and uppertail-covert. Its forehead is grey and crown is olive-brown mottled with black. It has a greyish-white supercilium and white moustachial stripe. In the male the chin and throat are rufous, spotted with black and the fore-neck is rufous-orange. It has a slaty-grey breast and a narrow black band between the fore-neck and the breast. The female has fewer black spots on the chin and throat and more drops on the rest of its underparts. Both sexes have brown irises, red orbital and gular skin, blackish bill with red gape and red legs and horny claws. The juvenile has white spotted underparts and an unbarred mantle. Of the 6 known sub-species, A. r. intermedia occurs in Bangladesh. 

Habit: It inhabits the dense undergrowths on the banks of streams in the evergreen forests. It is usually seen in pairs or scattered parties of 5-6. It forages by walking slowly and pecking on the ground and vegetations. It feeds on seeds, berries, shoots and invertebrates like insects and molluscs. Its usual call is a low whistling note. It sings at dawn and dusk during the breeding season. The song is a double whistle: wheea-whu. It breeds in April-August. It nests on the ground surrounded by dense vegetation. The nest is a natural hollow on the ground, lined with grasses and leaves. The female usually lays 3-6 white eggs, 3.9 x 2.9, cm each. The female alone incubates. Incubation takes 20-21 days. 

Distribution: It is a rare resident of Bangladesh. It occurs in the evergreen forests of Sylhet Division. It also occured in Chittagong Division. Its global range extends through Asia, including India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. 

Status: It is not considered a globally threatened bird, however, considered a Data Deficient species in Bangladesh. It is protected by the Bangladesh Wildlife Preservation Act. 

Miscellaneous: The scientific name Arborophila rufogularis means red-throated tree-loving partridge (Latin: arbor = tree; Greek: philos = loving; Latin: rufus = red, gula = throat): 

[Sajeda Begum]

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Encyclopedia of flora and fauna of  Bangladesh -BIRDS-Volume 26- Page: 06-07.

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TANGENTS Avian Tourism

Masked Finfoot, our avian treasure. Photo: Ihtisham kabir

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Ihtisham Kabir

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In recent years, while travelling abroad for bird photography, I have become an avian tourist. The idea is this. Suppose you are a devoted birder who wants to see the Yellow-headed Picathartes, a bizarre looking rare bird found in western Africa. You decide to fly to Ghana looking for it. But you will need a guide, someone who knows where to find the Picathartes. You will also need to rent a car, make bookings in hotels, etc. Before long you have planned an expedition and your friends join in.

Or, suppose you are a bird photographer, looking for lots of photogenic bird action in one place that you can approach and photograph. You decide to go to Australia, where there are many such places. This time you join a birding tour organized by a tour company which takes tourists to the right places so they can photograph to their hearts’ content.

These are examples of avian tourism, a service that provides guiding and logistics for global birdwatchers. Every year a large number of avian tourists travel all over the globe looking for birds. They are usually affluent folks willing to spend money to find what they are looking for.

Unfortunately Bangladesh rarely falls in their list of destinations. This is despite the fact that our avian bounty compares favourably countries that attract avian tourists.

Is avian tourism feasible here? Falling under two bird flyways, Bangladesh is extraordinarily rich in birdlife. The number of bird species seen here exceeds 700. This includes some rare and special birds that would be attractive to foreign birders, including Masked Finfoots, Pallas’s Fish Eagles, Black-capped Kingfishers, Brown-winged Kingfishers, Indian Skimmers, and Mangrove Pittas.

In addition, what appears commonplace to Bangladeshis may be exotic to foreign travellers. I have encountered foreign birders who were thrilled to see our Kalem (Purple Swamphen) and Machranga (Common Kingfisher) which are easily found here.

What are three or four places in Bangladesh suitable for the avian tourist?

First would be Sundarban. Inside this magnificent forest, it is possible to see exotic birds all year. Tourism in Sundarban has developed in recent years using launches where people sleep overnight, so why not use this?

Second would be the Haors – either Tanguar Haor, or Hail Haor/Baikka Beel. Hail Haor is about 3-3.5 hours from Dhaka. Tanguar is a longer travel distance but has many more birds in winter.

Third would be Satchori or another reserve forest. Shatchori is three hours drive from Dhaka and has, in recent years, become popular among our local bird photographers for its varied birds. Lawacherra is also in the same region and also offers the Hoolock Gibbon. For a more immersive experience tourists can try Rema Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary, one of the few primary forests left in Bangladesh.

Fourth would be Rajshahi and chars of the Padma. In recent years they have yielded phenomenal birding.

Inside Dhaka, avian tourists could visit the National Botanical Garden and the adjacent Zoo as well as the fields of Purbachol. Between them, these sites can offer perhaps 200 bird species.

I would argue we have the basic birdlife necessary for avian tourism. However, providing a satisfactory tourism service has other requirements – such as English-speaking guides, minimum hassles, and a pleasant overall experience. If these can be ensured, Bangladesh can become a destination for avian tourism.

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12:00 AM, June 22, 2019 / LAST MODIFIED: 01:00 AM, June 22, 2019

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