Black Partridge on a termite hill

A Black Partridge / Black Francolin (Francolinus francolinus) calling from amongst tall, lush green grasses in Corbett National Park, Uttaranchal / Uttarakhand in North India

The Black Partridge has a very distinct call. Corbett is the first National Park in India where the Project Tiger was started, the Corbett National Park is situated in the foothills of India as is named after Jim Corbett, the great wildlifer and conservationist. Spread over 520.82 sq kms. (1318 sq. kms. Corbett National Park including Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary) the Corbett National Park is one the best known sanctuaries of India.

The Black Partridge (Melanoperdix niger) also known as the Black Wood Partridge, is a small (up to 27 cm long) partridge with a thick bill, grey legs and dark brown iris. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Melanoperdix.

The Black Partridge is sexually dimorphic. The male has entirely glossy black plumage and a black bill, while the female is generally a chestnut-brown bird with a whitish throat and belly and a dark horn-colored bill. The female is smaller than the male.

The Black Partridge occurs in lowland rainforests of Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra in southeast Asia. It was formerly found but is long extinct on Singapore. The female usually lays five to six white eggs.

Due to ongoing habitat loss, small population size and overhunting in some areas, the Black Partridge is evaluated as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix III of CITES in Malaysia.

Source: Wikipedia

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