The Udzungwa forest partridge (''Xenoperdix udzungwensis''), also known as the Udzungwa partridge, is a small, approximately long, boldly barred, brownish

partridge A partridge is a medium-sized Galliformes, galliform bird in any of several genera, with a wide Indigenous (ecology), native distribution throughout parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. Several species have been introduced to the Americas. They a ...

with rufous face, grey underparts, olive-brown crown and upperparts. It has a red

bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

, brown

iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants *Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional enti ...

and yellow legs. Both sexes are similar. Discovered only in 1991, this bird was first noticed as a pair of strange feet in a cooking pot in a Tanzanian forest camp. It inhabits and is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to forests of the

Udzungwa Mountains The Udzungwa Mountains are a mountain range in south-central Tanzania. The mountains are mostly within Iringa Region, south of Tanzania's capital Dodoma. The Udzungwa Mountains are part of the Eastern Arc Mountains, and are home to a biodiverse ...

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

. A second population from the

Rubeho Mountains The Rubeho Mountains are a mountain range in central Tanzania. The mountains in Dodoma and Morogoro regions, southeast of Tanzania's capital Dodoma. The Rubeho Mountains are part of the Eastern Arc Mountains, and are home to a biodiverse communi ...

was initially believed to be a well-marked

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

, but is now recognized to be specifically distinct.Bowie, Rauri C.K. & Fjeldså, Jon (2005): Genetic and morphological evidence for two species in the Udzungwa forest partridge. ''Journal of East African Natural History'' 94(1): 191–201
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The diet consists mainly of

beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

ant Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 22 ...

s and seeds. Due to ongoing habitat loss, small population size, limited range and overhunting in some areas, the Udzungwa forest partridge is classified as

Endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

on the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...

of Threatened Species.

References

External links

BirdLife Species Factsheet

Udzungwa forest partridge The Udzungwa forest partridge (''Xenoperdix udzungwensis''), also known as the Udzungwa partridge, is a small, approximately long, boldly barred, brownish partridge with rufous face, grey underparts, olive-brown crown and upperparts. It has a red ...

Endemic birds of Tanzania

{{Galliformes-stub