PARTRIDGES AND FOWLS

7. REDBREASTED HILL PARTRDGES
SIZE; Grey Partridges, length 30 cm(12 in).
FIELD CHARACTERS; A typical dumpy olive-brown hill partridges, like Common Hill Partridges. Male, above, crown and nape dull chestnut-brown; supercilia dark Grey running back to meet on hindneck; lower neck and upper back chestnut with black spots. Rest of upper plumage olive, spotted and scalloped with black. Below; chin and throat olive-chestnut, separated from deep chestnut upper breast by a prominent double gorget of white and black. Rests of lower plumage Grey, with chestnut and white markings on flanks.
SEXES; Alike.
STATUS, HABITAT, ETC; Resident in an altitudinal zones between 350 and 2450 m, possibly higher: dense undergrowth in secondary moist forest. Habits and food like other partridges.
CALL; A long-drawn quoick... followed by a series of ascending double notes. But this needs verification.

8.BLOOD PHEASANT
SIZE; Domestic fowl; length 45 cm(18 in).
FIELD CHARACTERS; Large, stocky, partridges-like. Overall Grey and apple green streaked with yellow, with a busky mop-like crest and bright red naked patch round eye bordered with black. Forehead black, chins and throat crimson. Upper breast splashed with crimson (like bloodstains). Crimson patches on shoulders and under tail-coverts, and in tail. Female faces and throats bright ochre contrasting strongly with Grey crest and nape.
STATUS, HABITAT, ETC; Resident in three slightly differing subspecies, between 2500 and 4500 m, moving up and down with the snow-line, and somewhat lower in severe winters. Affects conifer forest, dwarf rhododendron, dense ringal bamboo and juniper scrub interspersed with snow patches. Coveys of 5 to 10, sometimes more. Usually tame and confiding. Feeds in open patches, often digging with the stout bill in deep snow.
FOOD; mosses, ferns, pine shoots, lichens, etc.
CALL; a prolonged high-pitched squeal to rally a scattered covey.

9.SATYR TRAGON
SIZE; Domestic fowl; length of female bird is 60 cm (24 in), and length of male bird is 70 cm (28 in).
FIELD CHARACTERS; Male. Above, head black with a crimson streak or "horn" on either side of recumbent crest. Rest of upperparts crimson and brown, sprinkled with black-bordered white spots or ocelli. Below, a naked deep blue patch or lappet on throat bordered with black. Rest of under-parts crimson, sprinkled with white ocelli as above. Female. Above, rufous-buff, vermiculated, barred and blotched with black, narrowly streaked with pale ochre on crown. Wing-shoulder tinged with crimson. Tail rufous-brown barred with black and buff. Below, chin and throat whitish, breast pale rufous-buff; belly still paler and with large whitish spots.

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