Common Name: Bamboo Partridge Scientific Name: Bambusicola thoracica
LEAST CONCERN Bamboo Partridge Distribution: Eastern China & Taiwan Habitat: Forest & Grassland Height: Approx. 31cm Weight: 200g - 342g Diet: Omnivorous
Both male and female Bamboo Partridges are similar, although the females are slightly smaller. Their bellies are mottled brown, with their back being slightly darker. Their breast is reddish in colour and they have a grey head. They are native to Eastern China and Taiwan, but have been successfully introduced in Japan. These partridges inhabit warm forests and grasslands and are not reliant on bamboo despite their name. They will migrate up and down the hills, moving higher during the summer and into the valleys in the winter. Their diet consists of seeds, nuts, shoots, leaves and small invertebrates. Bamboo Partridges nest at the base of trees, under shrubs or in long grass. They lay between 3 and 7 eggs which are incubated by the female. It has a loud call of ki-ko-kuai or kojukkei which is repeated several times before slowing to a stop. Their calls are heard far more than the bird is seen as it is shy and secretive.