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The Vietnam partridge, Annam partridge, or Annam hill partridge, ''Tropicoperdix chloropus merlini'', is now usually considered a subspecies of the
green-legged partridge The green-legged partridge (''Tropicoperdix chloropus''), also known as the scaly-breasted partridge or green-legged hill-partridge, is a bird species in the family Phasianidae. It is found in forest in Indochina, ranging slightly into southernm ...
in the family
Phasianidae The Phasianidae are a family (biology), family of heavy, ground-living birds, which includes pheasants, partridges, junglefowl, chickens, Turkey bird, turkeys, Old World quail, and peafowl. The family includes many of the most popular Game (hunti ...
of
bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
s. It 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
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
in the dense moist lowland
forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
s of central Annam.


Description

This species is 29 cm long, with the female slightly smaller than the male. The male weighs 290 grams and the female 250 grams. The Vietnam partridge has a finely barred brown back. Its head is paler except for a brown crown and ear coverts. It has a scaly upper breast, lacking the chestnut of its relatives, and the rest of the underparts are buff with dark arrow markings on the flanks. The sexes have similar
plumage Plumage ( "feather") is a layer of feathers that covers a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage differ between species and subspecies and may vary with age classes. Within species, ...
. The call is a series of clear whistles.


Behaviour and status

This little-known and shy species feeds in small flocks on seeds,
berries A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...
and
termite Termites are small insects that live in colonies and have distinct castes (eusocial) and feed on wood or other dead plant matter. Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blattode ...
s. It is threatened by
habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...
through deforestation and is restricted to two small areas of Annam.


References

* Madge and McGowan, ''Pheasants, Partridges and Grouse'' {{Taxonbar, from=Q27602980 Tropicoperdix Endemic birds of Vietnam Endangered animals Endangered biota of Asia Birds described in 1924 Taxa named by Jean Théodore Delacour