Hose's Partridge

Hose's Partridge
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Galliformes
Family:	Phasianidae
Subfamily:	Perdicinae
Genus:	Rhizothera
Species:	R. dulitensis
Synonyms
Rhizothera longirostris dulitensis

The Hose's Partridge (Rhizothera dulitensis), also known as Dulit Partridge, has been considered a distinctive subspecies of the Long-billed Partridge, a bird in the Phasianidae, or pheasant, family. It is endemic to Borneo, where it appears to be separated altitudinally from the nominate subspecies, and is often considered now to be a full species, Rhizothera dulitensis. It is little-known, rare, and has not been recorded since 1937.^[1]

Description

The partridge is 30 cm in length. Like the Long-billed Partridge, it is mainly rufous-buff in colour, with a lavender-grey breast-band, a long, black, curved bill and yellow legs. It differs from the Long-billed Partridge in that the grey breast band is twice as wide, and the underparts are whitish-buff rather than bright orange-buff.^[2]

Distribution and habitat

The partridge is confined to lower montane forest on the mountains of Borneo. It was first recorded from Mount Dulit and later found on Mount Murud and Mount Batu Song, all in northern Sarawak.^[2] Two specimens were collected by Everett on Mount Kinabalu in Sabah in 1895, but it has not been recorded from that state since.^[1]

Status and conservation

Orenstein et al. (2010) suggest that the partridge may be seriously threatened by habitat degradation and hunting, and that an important conservation priority is its rediscovery.^[1] BirdLife International considers that it may have been in rapid decline because of habitat destruction and degradation, and that its taxonomic status should be investigated.^[3]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Orenstein et al. (2010).
2. ^ ^{a b} Smythies & Davison (1998).
3. ^ BLI species factsheet.

• Orenstein, Ronald; Wong, Anthony; Abghani, Nazeri; Bakewell, David; Eaton, James; Yeo Siew Teck; & Yong Ding Li (2010). "Sarawak – a neglected birding destination in Malaysia". BirdingASIA 13: 30–41. http://www.orientalbirdclub.org/publications/ba13pdfs/Orenstein-Sarawak.pdf. 
• Smythies, B.E.; & Davison, G.W.H. (1998). The Birds of Borneo.. Kota Kinabalu: Natural History Publications (Borneo), in association with the Sabah Society. pp. 217–219. ISBN 983-812-028-6. 
• "Long-billed Partridge". BLI species factsheet. BirdLife International. 2010. http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=191&m=0. Retrieved 2010-09-18.