Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Tibetan Partridge (Perdix hodgsoniae)
Tibetan Partridge

Tibetan Partridge

Perdix hodgsoniae

The Tibetan partridge (Perdix hodgsoniae) is a distinctive gamebird belonging to the pheasant family, Phasianidae. It is characterized by a brown back, a blackish belly patch, and chestnut flanks. Notably, it sports a striking black and white face pattern with a contrasting rufous collar, setting it apart from other Perdix species.

Identification Tips

Adults measure between 28–31 cm in length. The forehead, broad supercilium, face, and throat are white, while a broad black stripe runs down the face from below the eyes. The upper parts are buff, barred with rufous and black, and the tail-feathers are chestnut, tipped with white. The lower plumage is pale buff closely barred with black, and the flanks feature broad chestnut bars. Males have a black belly patch, which is barred in females. Juveniles lack the distinctive facial and underpart markings of adults, presenting a more uniform buff-brown coloration.

Habitat

The Tibetan partridge inhabits mountain slopes and high meadows with sparse vegetation, often with Rhododendron bushes, dwarf juniper, or other scrubs providing cover, typically found at elevations between 3,600 and 4,250 meters.

Distribution

This species is native to the Tibetan plateau, with its range extending from Tibet, Northern Pakistan, Kashmir, northwestern India, northern Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, to western China.

Behaviour

The Tibetan partridge is a non-migratory terrestrial bird that may move to lower altitude desert plains in winter and ascend to the snowline in summer. It forms monogamous pairs during the breeding season and larger flocks of 10-15 birds outside of it. When threatened, it prefers to run but will take short flights on rounded wings if necessary.

Song & Calls

The Tibetan partridge's call is a rattling "scherrrrreck- scherrrrreck" heard mainly in the mornings, while its flight call is a shrill "chee chee chee."

Breeding

Breeding begins around mid-March, with nests varying from bare rocky plateaus to thorny scrub or standing crops. The nest is a grass-lined depression, sometimes without lining. Clutch size is typically 8-10 brownish-buff eggs laid from May to June, with the male assisting in caring for the young.

Similar Species

While similar in some respects to other Perdix species, the Tibetan partridge is distinguished by its unique facial pattern and lack of spurs on the legs of both sexes.

Diet and Feeding

The diet consists primarily of seeds, with young birds also consuming insects for protein.

Conservation status

The Tibetan partridge is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, appearing secure within its extensive and often inaccessible range on the Tibetan Plateau.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

More Pheasants & Allies

Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Sacha0508
Simply fantastic
I love this app, it puts so much fun into recording the birds I’ve seen and heard while I’m out and about. The interface is user-friendly and suitable for all ages. It’s great to collect badges and to review my “lists”.
Nick S
Work together with community
Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
Viperray5
Loving it
I really enjoy being able to interact with other birders on this platform! This seems like a great way to meet other birders and find some new spots.
BCHphotography_
Such a great app!
I didn’t think I could enjoy birding more but this app makes it so much better. Some great features and a really great way to share your sightings with your friends or fellow birders nearby or around the world! ❤️
Tralisalandhoop
Fantastic app - Love it!
Love this app and have used it almost daily. Lots of species information and easy to use. Love seeing birds spotted by other users in the UK and worldwide.
Paul F
Very good database
Highly recommend. It great that this app shows you male Vs female variations when posting. Very good database I'm really impressed.
Anonymous
The best bird logging app
Birda is honestly the best bird logging app I have seen. I love all the features it has from being able to do a session and log all the birds you see in one sitting, to being able to connect with other birders from all over the globe!
Marlster24
Very Wholesome App
Joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😄
Carl B
Helped me to identify more birds
Love this app and has helped me to identify more birds. The challenges and badges are great for keeping the motivation going to get out and keep birding.
Alex J
Friendly and helps to identify birds
Great birding app, good for logging your sightings, also has nice species guide. I'm enjoying the social aspect more than I expected, everyone seems friendly and helps to identify unknown birds. Good mix of newbies and experienced users.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.