Slightly smaller than a domestic chicken. The brightly colored male is unmistakable with dense white spots while the female is more drab brown overall. This is a bird of the rocky and scrub forest habitats in the Indian peninsula and is mostly found in pairs or in small groups. Birds are generally shy and not very vocal unlike other members of the family. When disturbed, they scuttle through the undergrowth and rarely take to the wing. It give a loud, rapidly repeated “chur, chur, chur” and the male also gives a bubbling, clucking “chugak” when flushed.