Jabarkhet

Hill Partridge  Arborophila torqueola

This bird is resident in the Himalayas and NE India throughout the year. Although common it is very shy, and lives on the forest floor picking its way through the undergrowth in the semi-darkness. For this reason it is very difficult to observe. When disturbed, it runs away quite, noisily pushing past the vegetation and loose leaves. But if you are lucky enough to get a view of it in good light, it is a beautiful bird. The male (see lower photo) has a rufous crown, bare red skin around the eyes, an orange cheek patch and black and white vertical streaking.  It is very vocal during the breeding season, and so it can be heard every day during the  months from February to June.

Its low mournful whistle, sounding almost human, echoes across the valleys, particularly at dawn and dusk:

 There are small variations around this that can be heard:

  It can also be heard frequently making 3-4 swooping whistles on an ascending scale:

A second bird can be heard responding in that last track and so this call may be communication between the sexes.