Living throughout the forests of southeast Asia, these small ground-dwelling birds are named for the large red crest found on the male’s head.
The life of a crested wood partridge
Crested wood partridges grow up to 10 inches long and weigh around seven ounces. They live an average of five years in the wild and up to 20 years in human care. Males are bluish-purple with a red crest, and females are green with brown wings.
Crested wood partridges tend to be territorial but will form flocks of up to 15 during mating season. Females lay five to six eggs at a time, which hatch within two weeks. Both parents care for the chicks. They dig tunnel-like nests out of leaves on the forest floor. Nests have entries that close when partridges are inside, concealing them from predators. At night, they roost in bushes or low tree branches.
They spend most of their time on the ground foraging for insects, seeds, fruits and small mollusks. They sometimes follow wild pigs to feed on their leftovers.
When threatened, they use powerful legs to escape or kick at attackers or hide in the brush. They will only take flight if no other defensive action is possible.
Crested wood partridges at the zoo
Located in the Vollum Aviary.
