Family Pheasants, Partridges, Turkeys, Grouse (Phasianidae)
Vulnerable
Black Partridge (Melanoperdix niger)
Taxonomy
French: Rouloul noir German: Schwarzwachtel Spanish: Perdiz negra
Other common names:
Black Wood-partridge
Taxonomy:
Cryptonyx niger
Vigors
, 1829,no locality
.
Subspecies and Distribution
M. n. niger
(Vigors, 1829) – Peninsular Malaysia S to Sumatra, including inshore islands.
M. n. borneensis
Rothschild, 1917 – Borneo.
Descriptive notes
c. 24–27 cm; male c. 280 g, female 281 g. Male very distinctive, showing combination of short thick bill and glossy black plumage (flight feathers dark brown). Peculiar... read more
Voice
Poorly known and had been assumed to be somewhat quiet. Contact call apparently resembles heavy old... read more
Habitat
Primary and tall secondary lowland forest, usually with many spiny stemless palms (Bertram... read more
Food and feeding
No information available, although strong bill suggests that it feeds on hard seeds. Typically observed singly or in pairs.
Breeding
Little information available. Mating system unknown. One clutch of two eggs found in Jan, one of three in May, and four of five eggs in... read more
Movements
No information available; presumably sedentary. Runs when disturbed, although typically sits tight... read more
Status and conservation
VULNERABLE. Mace Lande: vulnerable. Formerly considered Near Threatened. Believed to be very sparsely distributed in Peninsular Malaysia and probably also in Indonesia;... read more
Race borneensis evidently very poorly differentiated, and species sometimes considered better treated as monotypic#R. Two subspecies tentatively recognized.