White-necklaced partridge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids White-necklaced partridge
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Galliformes
Family:	Phasianidae
Genus:	Arborophila
Species:	A. gingica
Binomial name
Arborophila gingica (Gmelin, 1789)
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Synonyms
Tetrao gingicus (protonym)

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The white-necklaced partridge is a beautiful bird found only in southeastern China. It's also called the collared partridge or Rickett's hill-partridge. This bird is part of the Phasianidae family, which includes pheasants and quails. Sadly, its home is shrinking, and it's sometimes hunted. Because of this, experts say it is a "near-threatened" species.

About the White-Necklaced Partridge's Name

Every living thing has a scientific name. This helps scientists around the world know exactly which animal or plant they are talking about. The white-necklaced partridge's scientific name is Arborophila gingica.

Who Named This Bird?

A German scientist named Johann Friedrich Gmelin first officially described this bird in 1789. He gave it the name Tetrao gingicus. Later, in 1837, another scientist named Brian Houghton Hodgson created the group (called a genus) Arborophila. The white-necklaced partridge was then placed into this group.

Different Types of White-Necklaced Partridges

There are two main types, or subspecies, of the white-necklaced partridge:

• A. g. gingica (Gmelin J.F., 1789) - This type lives in southeastern China.
• A. g. guangxiensis (Zhou F., & Jiang A., 2008) – This type is found in Guangxi, which is in south-central China.

What Does the White-Necklaced Partridge Look Like?

This partridge is about 25 to 30 centimeters (10 to 12 inches) long. It weighs around 253 grams (about half a pound).

Colors and Markings

Adult birds have a white forehead. They also have a long white stripe above their eyes, called a supercilium. The sides of their neck and throat are a bright orange-red color. They have a black band, like a necklace, around their throat. Above their chest, there's a white band, and their upper chest is a warm chestnut color.

Their lower body is dark grey, becoming lighter and whitish on their belly. The back of their neck and their back are reddish-brown with black spots. Their rump (the area above the tail) is olive-brown with black spots. Their wings can be greyish or buffy-brown.

Differences Between Males and Females

Female white-necklaced partridges look very similar to males. However, females are usually a bit smaller.

Beak, Eyes, and Legs

This bird has a short, grey beak. Its eyes are brown, and its legs are red. Young birds have a duller chest color than adults.

Where the White-Necklaced Partridge Lives

The white-necklaced partridge is found only in southeastern China. It lives in the provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi.

Its Home (Habitat)

These birds like to live in forests. They can also be found in areas with bamboo and thick bushes (scrub). They live at different heights, from 150 meters (about 490 feet) up to 1,900 meters (about 6,200 feet) above sea level.

White-Necklaced Partridge Behaviour

During the day, these partridges stay hidden in the plants close to the ground. When it's time to sleep, they fly up into trees to roost.

What They Eat

Their diet includes seeds, berries, and insects. This helps them get all the energy they need.

Sounds They Make

The white-necklaced partridge has a special call. It's a repeated, sad-sounding whistle. Some people describe it as "wooop" and "co-qwee." They usually call out in the early morning and in the evening.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

These birds lay their eggs from April to May. A female partridge will usually lay a clutch of five to seven eggs.

Why the White-Necklaced Partridge Needs Help

Experts believe there are about 10,000 to 19,999 adult white-necklaced partridges left in the wild.

Threats to Their Survival

The biggest problems for these birds are:

• Habitat Loss: Forests where they live are being cut down. New roads are being built, and mining operations are taking over their land. This means less space for them to live and find food.
• Hunting: People sometimes hunt these birds illegally.

Because of these threats, the number of white-necklaced partridges is going down.

Conservation Efforts

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) first listed this bird as "vulnerable." This meant it was at high risk of becoming extinct. However, scientists later found that the bird lives in a larger area than first thought. So, its status was changed to "near-threatened species." This means it's still at risk, but not as immediately as before.

To help protect them, a program to breed these birds in captivity started in Guangzhou, China, in 1986. This helps ensure there are more birds, even if their wild homes are shrinking.