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Campbell’s/Malaysian Hill Partridge

on 13th May 2019
Bird from the anterior view, showing the white frontal spots.

“I was fortunate to observe 8 Campbell’s/Malaysian Hill Partridges (Arborophila campbelli) in a social group. This is the third time I am seeing the presumed same group at this site. They are extremely shy birds.

Side view.

“I met them going down a slope to their feeding grounds at 8.45am and again on the return upslope at 11.30am. They have to cross a mountain road and usually dash across or fly across. My presence of course made them more cautious when crossing, and once the group got split up.

Back view.

“I then had the opportunity to have a short recording of contact calls made by the group that had crossed over to the gang left behind. The contact calls are disyllabic notes uttered at 1.2 notes per second, lasting ~0.5-0.6 seconds with ~0.5 second gap in between. They are low frequency notes. Although they are heard by the human ear as disyllabic notes, both the waveform and sonogram suggest they are a single note (below). A short call recording is available HERE

Sonogram-waveform.

“The image at the top is of a bird from the anterior view, showing the white frontal spots. Wells 1999, quoting Robinson (1928) suggests that the older birds have less frontal white. This particular bird, with lots of white, did appear to me to be immature and less confident in behaviour.”

Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
14th March 2019

Location: ~1,800m ASL, Gunung Brinchang, Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia
Habitat: Road running through mixed secondary & primary montane forest

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

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