The crested partridge Rollulus rouloul
The crested partridge inhabits lowland rainforests and is mainly seen in plains and hill slopes, but sometimes these birds are found at elevations of up to 1,200 metres. The crested partridge is distributed in Southeast Asia, from southern Myanmar and southwestern Thailand, through Peninsular Malaysia to the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. This beautiful bird features gloss bluish-black plumage, which is especially vivid in males. The male’s plumage shimmers with violet and green iridescence; besides, the male crested partridge has a spectacular chestnut-reddish crest resembling the crown of the black crowned crane. The bill is black with red patch over the gape of the upper mandible, and on the half of the lower mandible, close to the bill base. Eyes are dark brown, surrounded by broad eye-ring. Legs and feet are bright red. The bill is black with red patch over the gape of the upper mandible, and on the half of the lower mandible, close to the bill base. Eyes are dark brown, surrounded by broad eye-ring. Legs and feet are bright red. There is no claw to the hind toe, and it lacks the spur on the rear of the leg. Female has olive-green plumage, with chestnut-brown scapulars and wings. The head is slate-grey. The female lacks the brushy crest, but she has long bristles on the grey forehead. The eyes are surrounded by the same red eye-ring, but the bare red triangle is much more reduced than in the male. The bill is black and lacks red patches.
Crested partridges are monogamous. The nest is a scrape in the ground on the forest floor, often hidden beneath a loose heap of dead leaves. This type of nest is very well camouflaged and difficult to find, if the birds are motionless. The clutch contains five or six white eggs, which are incubated by the female alone for 18 or 19 days. In contrast to other Galliformes, both crested partridge parents feed their chicks bill-to-bill. The chicks are precocial, but they sleep at night in the nest. The crested partridge feeds on seeds, fruits, various insects (large beetles, wood ants of genus formica), and small molluscs. As many other Galliformes, this species forages by scratching and picking among the leaf-litter. These birds often forage in pairs, close to each other. They may feed close to wild pigs and often forage below the fruiting trees, taking discarded fragments of fruits dropped by arboreal monkeys and birds. The crested partridges are also frequently seen in groups of up to 15 birds of both sexes and various ages. With its strong legs well adapted to the ground, this partridge walks rapidly in jerky fashion. It prefers to walk or run rather than fly to escape a danger. If necessary, it flies low and over short distance to reach the cover protection.
