The partridges of Borneo

Species profile

The crested partridge

This is a rotund gamebird measuring roughly 26 cm. The male has a metallic green back, dark blue-black underparts and a tall chestnut-red crest made of soft silky feathers. The female is bright pea-green with a slate-grey head. Both sexes have red bare skin around the eyes and red legs with no spurs.

You will frequently find them foraging in coveys of up to 15 individuals. They feed on seeds, beetles and small molluscs. They often follow wild pigs to catch insects disturbed in the mud, and rely on primates to drop broken fruit from the canopy.

The crimson-headed partridge

The male crimson-headed partridge has a charcoal-black body contrasting with a bright crimson head. It is notable for having between 1 and 3 tarsal spurs on each leg. The female lacks these spurs and has a duller orangish-red head.

Tracking by sound

Finding these birds requires sharp hearing. Local guides rely on acoustic tracking, a piece of rainforest field craft in Borneo, to locate coveys. The crested partridge uses a whistled duet, while the crimson-headed partridge spends 83 per cent of daylight hours calling.

Where to find them

• Kinabalu Park Walk the Mempening Trail for the crimson-headed partridge.
• Trus Madi Forest Reserve Book a commercial hide for crested partridge coveys.
• Rainforest Discovery Centre Scan beneath the canopy towers.