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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Copy from

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

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